Trae Young has been branded as “not a winning player” for the bulk of his career. Whether this criticism is fair or unfair remains to be seen until he proves he can elevate a team built around him to postseason success.
The Athletic published an article in which three writers answered questions about the unexpected shape of the Eastern Conference, with teams like the Pistons and Raptors occupying the top seeds. When asked which team was the most fraudulent, however, two of the three authors nominated the Hawks. The common reasoning? A lack of trust in Young.
Young is perhaps the most polarizing star in the league, with some contrarians arguing he shouldn’t be considered a star at all. At the same time, their counterparts point to Young’s impressive statistical track record and see an underrated offensive engine.
Can Young rise to the occasion on his new squad?
The truth is somewhere between these two camps, but the issue is that it is impossible to fully understand Young’s game until he plays with this current squad. In the seven years Young has been with the Hawks, they have never had a true co-star or a cohesive team. Jalen Johnson has only leaped to true stardom this season, and the peripheral pieces were still coming together this offseason.
Any opinion on whether you trust Young to lead the Hawks comes down to one question: Do you trust Trae Young to be a winning player?
While his record suggests you shouldn't trust him, Young has the best chance of his career to become a winning player in a less prominent role. All offseason, Young and Quin Snyder spoke about how the Atlanta star would be selfless this season; how he just wants to see his teammates succeed. If this is true, Young will have every opportunity to showcase this desire.
Young is one of the best passers in the league and can create open looks for himself, but has shown concerning stagnation as a shooter over his career. Barring an unexpected shooting breakthrough, Young should look to fall into a role closer to a Chris Paul or Steve Nash than Donovan Mitchell or James Harden.
If he accepts this role shift and actively works to succeed in his new role, Young will instantly elevate this team to championship caliber. The problem is that he has to buy in – if he doesn’t, his haters will be vindicated once and for all.