Fans of the Atlanta Hawks got some major news on Tuesday afternoon, as one of the biggest All-Star snubs of the past decade ended up getting rectified. News has continued to trickle out over the past two weeks as the NBA All-Star Starters, reserves, captains and rosters ended up getting finalized, and consternation grew among Hawks fans with every passing milestone as superstar guard Trae Young didn’t get his name called on any of the lists.
That oversight ended up getting corrected, as Young was named as a reserve in place of Knicks star Julius Randle, who is currently recuperating from a dislocated shoulder. Here’s a look at what that selection means for Young and the Hawks, as well as how he could end up performing against the rest of the best.
The Case For Trae Young
Right now, the 25 year old point guard is averaging the eighth-most points per game in the NBA this season, posting a double-double with 27.3 points and 10.9 assists: that second number is the second best in the league.
Despite those lofty numbers, many pundits point out a hole in Young’s game: he’s very much a volume shooter, as his field goal percentage of 43.5 ranks No. 124 in the league, considerably lower than you would like to see from a bona fide superstar. Funnily enough, that shooting percentage has actually gone up a tick recently, as he’s been shooting lights out against the Clippers, Warriors and Suns to start the month. His current rates may not be sustainable, but they certainly gave him enough of a final push to earn the All-Star selection.
Beyond the volume shooting, many criticize Young for his diminutive frame (6-foot-1, 164 pounds) and a perceived lack of defense. It also doesn’t help that the Hawks have struggled to a 22-28 record this season, having some of the worst NBA odds to make the playoffs of any team in the Eastern Conference. With Young as the presumptive superstar and leader of the team, those failings reflect on him, unfairly or not.
What’re the Stakes?
The nice thing for Trae Young is that the All-Star selection doesn’t come with as much weight as it might have a year or two ago. Now that he’s in his sixth season and has already locked down a max contract due to prior All-NBA and All-Star selections, he didn’t have tens of millions of dollars riding on a potential selection or snub.
In other leagues, Young would be an easy shoe-in for the All-Star Game: the NBA is rare in that they aren’t mandated to have one player from each franchise on the exhibition teams. While Young may not have had anything to gain beyond pride with an All-Star selection, it would’ve been a metaphorical slap in the face to see a presumptive young superstar snubbed while most other teams see their players receive adequate praise… taken in combination with the doubts that always seem to swirl around Young’s playing style, it has to feel good for him to silence the naysayers with a selection, even if it’s just as an injury replacement.
Last but not least, each player on the winning All-Star Team receives a $100,000 contract bonus. That may not seem like a lot of money for a player who’s currently inked to a deal worth more than $215 million, but the financial benefits help ensure that players have something to play for in the exhibition contest.
How Young Fits In
Right now, the Eastern Conference team is a slight underdog to the Western Conference’s best in the All-Star Game, which will take place on Sunday, February 18.
Young likely won’t play a massive role given that he isn’t one of the starters, but this isn’t your traditional game where the best five players hog most of the minutes: it’s all for fun, and he’ll have ample opportunities to make his presence known down the stretch.
This may sound like a backhanded compliment, but I expect the exhibition nature of the game to help even out some of the criticisms against Young. Even though the players are playing for cash prizes, they still don’t play at the same level of intensity that they do for a regular season game. That will help even out Young’s size disadvantage, as he’ll have more space to pick and choose his spots. Similarly, with less of a focus on defense, he won’t have to worry about getting attacked quite as much.
In spite of all the criticisms surrounding Young, he’s shown an ability to show up in big moments in the past, carrying the Hawks to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2022: don’t be surprised if he comes up with a clutch shot in this year’s All-Star Game.
