True or False... Trae Young is...

[Diesel]

 

Atlanta's Allen Iverson...

 

I know that people want to embrace the villian.. or the viper that is Trae Young..  But I tend to remember Allen Iverson.  Some would say Undersized... but he had so much heart that you never noticed it.   Put the city of Philly on his back everytime he hit the floor.   Snatched the respect of everybody he competed with and fans alike.   Bled for his city and his team. 

Isn't that the same for Trae?

 

Or is there another player more comparable?

[Final_quest]

Isaiah Thomas I think is better.  Steph is closer than AI.  So is CP3.
 

AI compares as a high volume scorer that could get into the lane and create for teammates.  He was not a PnR guy or shooter like Trae.  Trae looks to set up others while AI setup others by looking to score.  
 

I think a lot of guys are closer to Trae than AI.  Nash is another example, even Dame.  The heart is comparable with AI, but the game is different.

[NBASupes]

This has been said on here like a lot. To me, he has some Iverson in him but is more Nash like. 

[Spud2nique]

Zeke. I said it in 2018, I see it in his eyes  

[Atlantaholic]

1 hour ago, NBASupes said:

This has been said on here like a lot. To me, he has some Iverson in him but is more Nash like. 

He's somewhere in between these two for sure. His passing is much, much more similar to Nash than to Iverson, and his scoring is much more AI in the way he attacks and draws fouls, and he lacks that absolutely insane scoring efficiency Nash had. The Steph comparison is the least on point IMO. Yes, they both take a bunch of really deep threes, they both have great handles, but that's where the comparison ends.

[RedDawg#8]

I was always on the Zeke train, but have recently come around to the A.I comp more and more as well.

The playstyles are different, but the big heart in a small package is spot on. Capturing a city and rejuvenating it's fanbase, while also doing it with style and swagger, all three have in common.

From a generational perspective they are alike, as Trae's game is more passing and shooting oriented which fits today's game more so than the Iso-style that was prevalent during AI's time.

Their shooting splits are very VERY similar, which is where the comp is strongest. When people compare Trae to Steph, they are in different universes as far as efficiency, which is fine because A.I showed you can dominate as a small guard who shoots in the low 40's from 2pt, and low 30's 3pt shooter, which is where is and has been since he came in to the league

The passing is nothing alike. Trae is gifted in that area. More like Nash in that regard.

Trae's DNA:

The leadership, scrappiness of Zeke

The flashy/tough scoring of AI

The passing of Nash

The range of Dame/Steph

The midrange/pick and Roll dominance of CP3

[aali34]

1 hour ago, RedDawg#8 said:

I was always on the Zeke train, but have recently come around to the A.I comp more and more as well.

The playstyles are different, but the big heart in a small package is spot on. Capturing a city and rejuvenating it's fanbase, while also doing it with style and swagger, all three have in common.

From a generational perspective they are alike, as Trae's game is more passing and shooting oriented which fits today's game more so than the Iso-style that was prevalent during AI's time.

Their shooting splits are very VERY similar, which is where the comp is strongest. When people compare Trae to Steph, they are in different universes as far as efficiency, which is fine because A.I showed you can dominate as a small guard who shoots in the low 40's from 2pt, and low 30's 3pt shooter, which is where is and has been since he came in to the league

The passing is nothing alike. Trae is gifted in that area. More like Nash in that regard.

Trae's DNA:

The leadership, scrappiness of Zeke

The flashy/tough scoring of AI

The passing of Nash

The range of Dame/Steph

The midrange/pick and Roll dominance of CP3

The foul drawing of Harden. 

If he gets his efficiency up, best offensive player in the NBA.

[AHF]

15 hours ago, RedDawg#8 said:

Their shooting splits are very VERY similar, which is where the comp is strongest.

Allen Iverson Career .518% TS%.  Career high before the age of 30:  .535% TS%.

Trae Young Career .574% TS%.  Career low :  .539% TS%.  This was his rookie year with the disastrous opening months but he still ended up better than AI's best 20 something season.

So for me I will never compare Trae's game to AI's for two reasons:  (1) ability and willingness to pass; (2) efficiency as a scorer.  

Trae >> AI

AI benefited from playing in an era where PPG was highly respected by maintstream NBA fans and press even if the scoring was inefficient.  

Where I would use them in the same sentence is in talking about confidence and competitiveness.  However, AI's competitiveness was focused on "in-game" as he notoriously was not as serious in terms of training as Trae and I do think that out of game work is part of the competitive DNA of the greatest players.  ("We talking about practice?!?")  

[macdaddy]

a superstar

[BangHolman]

Trae is Trae. He has aspects of all the guys he's studied with his own swag and persona; he doesn't need to be out beside or in anyone else's shadow.

[TheNorthCydeRises]

Traelan Iverson

Traeve Nash

Traephan Curry

Istraeah Thomas

 

He's a mix of those all time greats and can morph into any one of these guys at the drop of a hat.

I like the Iverson comparison in those games where he's shooting below 40% FG, but he's still impacting the game offensively and putting up a big point total.

Game 7 in Philly was a typical Iverson game. He was struggling big time from the field, yet, was still making plays passing and getting to the FT line to keep the Hawks right there.

Then he makes a few huge shots down the stretch to do just enough to help the Hawks win the game.

[Spud2nique]

57 minutes ago, TheNorthCydeRises said:

Istraeah

Cute name for a girl  

[swanlee]

Trae is his own player, others will be compared to him in the future.

[bleachkit]

I hope he's more Nash than Iverson. Trae's winning play is the great pass that gets a guy an easy shot. I love AI's competitiveness, but smallish ball dominant, low efficiency scorers are not a formula for winning, at least not as your best player. How Larry Brown dragged AI and some role players to the NBA finals I will never know. One of the great coaching jobs of all time. 

 

[RedDawg#8]

speaking of:

https://clutchpoints.com/hawks-news-allen-iverson-drops-truth-bomb-on-flaws-in-trae-young-game/

[benhillboy]

I just checked some Win Shares for PGs in their first three seasons since Trae doesn’t have career comparisons yet on BRef. Some interesting finds, excuse the mismatch font from pasting:

Trae:3,6,7

Nash before starting: 1,5,(missed 42 games his third season),3.  As a starter from his fifth season he killed it (8,10,12)

AI: 4,9,7.  Quite similar.  +4 win difference for AI.

Zeke:2,7,9.  Even more similar, Zeke +1.

Marbury: 4,5,5.  Almost as similar, Trae +2 wins.

Earl Monroe: 9,9,8.  Nobody touching him at traditional PG size.  Didn’t know the Knicks won 2 ‘ships, learn something everyday.

Steph: 5,7,(missed most of third season to injury), 11.

Payton: 3,4,8.  Trae +1 win.  Tied with Zeke for most similar.

Kidd: 4,4,4 (jumped to 8 in fourth season)

Hornacek: 1,5,8.  Trae +2.

Manu:4,9,11.  Started first two phenomenally like Steph and AI, but AI’s third healthy season nothing like theirs at 7 (his injury shortened season 3 virtually the same as his fourth healthy one)

Porter:2,7,10.  Plus 3 on Trae.  That’s a 3 year improvement for your ass right there.

Lowry:1,3,5 as a BU beginning his  career (very similar to Trae’s steady incline). 7,5,7 (as a starter 4 years in).

And who do I find with the exact same shares as Trae?

The Great Johnny Stockton.  3,6,7 (jumped to 14 in his fourth year shit!). This fool played more 82 game seasons than humanly possible I swear.

Will Trae ever shoot a .589 eFG with a 4.3:1 assist to turn rate and 3 steals per?  Absolutely not.  But he can get his WS up to around 9 or even 10 if he makes the improvements I’m looking for.  Just a few more corner threes, just a little more consistent ball pressure, just a little more body sacrifice.  As soon as Steph started prioritizing his defensive box his impact on winning reached a new stratosphere.  Not a second before.

Edited October 4, 2021 by benhillboy

[hazer]

Trae Young is Atlanta’s Trae Young. In 10 years another team’s superstar PG will be their Trae Young

[Spud2nique]

1 hour ago, hazer said:

Trae Young is Atlanta’s Trae Young. In 10 years another team’s superstar PG will be their Trae Young

Thats what Pistons fans were saying about us in 1983… granted it too 35 years not 10 but..  Hey, we got ours, some teams may never get that elusive generational talent like Trae.