His rookie season may have gotten off to a slow start, but Atlanta Hawks rookie guard Trae Young has proven the early doubters wrong over the last two months.
I’m showing Trae with 35 points, 10 assists, 7 rebounds and 15 foul shots. Here’s the list of NBA rookies that have done that:Michael JordanOscar RobertsonElgin BaylorTrae Young(end of list)
— Mike Conti (@MikeConti929) February 28, 2019
Young is coming off back-to-back 36-point games, leads all rookies in assists and is second in scoring. He became this first NBA rookie since Steph Curry in 2010 with mutiple 33-point plus, 10-assist plus games in the same season.
While many in the national media have already handed Dallas Mavericks rookie Luka Doncic the Rookie of the Year award, Young is making a strong case down the stretch.
"Trae's on a path, and I'll tell you this," first year Hawks head coach Lloyd Pierce said. "He's going to be very deserving of the Rookie of the Year honor, and we're going to be supportive."
"I don't think there's a guy playing better basketball, not any of the rookies, than Trae."
Coach Pierce noted that Young has played at least 30 minutes in all of the Hawks 62 games they've played up to this point.
"I want him to walk out of here with the Rookie of the Year award because that just shows that he got better from start to finish. And if he finishes better than what he's playing at right now, just imagine what those numbers and what that performance looks like, not only for Trae but for our entire team."
Young, who got off to a slower start than the national media and fans were hoping for, told Dukes and Bell yesterday, that the game has started to slow down for him over the past month.
"When you're a young player--you haven't played in the NBA--it's a different game," Coach Pierce said. "It's a different speed, a different physicality, a different energy and it's really a different competitive spirit every night. And that takes awhile to get used to."
But now that the Hawks rookie seems to have gotten his legs underneathe him, he's showing the ability to be an elite point guard in this league.
"He may seem small, but he's durable...It's good to see a young guy, a tiny guy, show his durability, and it's great for our team."
Coach Pierce said the improvement over the course of the season is not only good for Young but for the entire future of the organization.
"I'm excited for Trae. I do see him, now, getting some national exposure, and John (Collins) as well. (I'm) excited that both of those guys are being included in conversations about the future of our program and organization."
