[Lotto StudParticipant]

Most people are so caught up with the hype surrounding the top-5 prospects, that they really haven’t taken a chance to see what else is out there on the rise. Right now, the biggest sleeper that needs to be in the next updated mock as a potential first-rounder is Trae Young. This kid has been lightin’ it up from day 1! Young may not be as popular as Collin Sexton or Trevon Duval, but he’s currently outperforming both guys statistically, and isn’t getting the same love. If 21.7 PPG 4.0 RPG 9.3 APG isn’t good enough to make it on the board, I don’t know what is draft-worthy.

[Anton123Participant]

First of all, no way he’s outperforming Sexton statistically. Let’s pull up the stats you didn’t include:  

Trae Young: 41 FG%, 3 TOPG

Collin Sexton: 25.3 PPG, 4.7 APG, 1 TOPG, 63.4 FG%, 46.7 3P%

Sexton has basically had the perfect start to the season, even his A/TO ratio is higher than Young’s. 

As for draft potential, there are many question marks surrounding Young, way more than the other guys (can he break down the D? Can he get to the rim? Can he defend NBA’s guards?), but the league sure loves shooters right now, so Young may have some appeal in the first round based off of that.

 

[Lotto StudParticipant]

 I posted Young’s stats that stood out for those who are not aware, but he’s among the leaders in assists, which puts him over Sexton and Duval in that category. My apologies for the confusion. Also, I am not saying he’s a better player than both either.

[GBeeParticipant]

 Young is a divisive prospect.  I can see why he’s not on draft radars yet.  Physically he doesn’t have much going for him.  He’s got a small, skinny frame, doesn’t have the length to make up for it.  He’s more crafty than athletic.  He’s clearly clever with decent vision, but he can be a ball-stopper and careless with his passes.  He’s a supremely confident shooter with deep range, but his shot selection is awful and he releases the ball from his chin. He can anticipate for steals, but has lapses in effort and focus defensively…to go along with his already poor physical tools defensively.  Basically, he’s very skilled but you have to take the good with the bad.

Trae has the type of game that people either love or hate.  If he’s hot he can put up impressive numbers, but he can also put up a massive clunker of a game too because he has zero conscience and will continue hoisting up shots.  He also didn’t have the greatest rep as a teammate on the AAU circuit bc of his penchant for ball-stopping, chucking and playing hero ball.  That, and his weak physical profile were the reasons why he wasn’t ranked as high as other PGs and wasn’t on preseason mocks despite being prolific.

I’m not sold by his early start bc IK just how much of a hot/cold player he can be.  I think in order for him to sell pro scouts on his game, he’s going to have to prove to be an other-worldly shooter, which I think will be tough for him over the course of the season because of his poor shot selection.

 

 

[Lotto StudParticipant]

In the freshmen tracker thread, I spoke about Young’s overall play early on, if you haven’t came across it. At this stage, he’s an interesting guy to follow because he has more questionable things to point out than positive, although his stats are a bit misleading. Right now, my personal opinion is that he needs to return for another year to work on his decision-making and shot selection, as well as adding bulk to his frame. By all means, he is not a lottery pick caliber point guard but he may strike while the iron is hot because his stock could potentially decline with a return.

http://www.nbadraft.net/forum/2017-2018-ncaa-basketball-fr-tracker-thread

[holefillers1Participant]

 I would rather have Jaylen Brown…if we are talking tertiary guards for an NBA roster.

[holefillers1Participant]

 I meant Jaylen Adams.  My bad

[Sewok15Participant]

 I am not very big on Young based on what I have seen. He can get hot from 3 but I don’t see enough athleticism to project to a starter as a pro. His decision making can improve but his quickness is questionable.

I am not crazy about Duval either but I would much rather take him in the hopes he can learn to shoot because the rest of his game is all solid. He is a better playmaker and way better defensively. 

 

[Lotto StudParticipant]

 I do not view him as an NBA starter either, but those stats speak volumes for being on the Mock draft boards.

[EspressoParticipant]

In an old post i mentioned hes not really a one and done type. His confidence as a shooter really is impressive, he swears hes Curry.

[Dog_ShammdogParticipant]

If I had to pick one, I’d go with Keyvaughn Allen.  I think he’s a bonafide studd and can be a solid rotation player and bench scorer from day 1.  Dude’s a freak physically/athletically and has a nack for putting the ball in the hoop at any and all levels.  His handle is sufficient and he plays his ass off 

[EspressoParticipant]

 Carrer high 41 pts for Trae last night. 

Hes a POY candidate if he stays for 3/4 years, he really feels like he can make any shot!

 

[Lotto StudParticipant]

 43* If he isn’t in the next updates Mock, I think something is wrong. Young, may not be a lottery pick but he is clearly a first-round projection.

[EspressoParticipant]

 Hes defintely a baller, however, i stick to what ive been saying… I dont think he should be gona after one year. He needs to get stronger 

[OhCanada-Participant]

 Rui Hachimora is a guy I see going in the 10-20 range. He really fits in the mold of todays hybrid forwards. He runs the floor hard 6’9 230, athletic, can pass, can shoot and a willing defender. Kinda like this years Kyle Kuzma. Couple more comparisons are Tobias Harris and Wilson Chandler.

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