[IlladelphParticipant]

Ok, guys I have been bored waiting for college ball to start, so I have been watching a lot of video of the elite high school players, and rising college freshmen.  Lately I have been watching tape of Trae Young and I think that he may be the best point guard in the class of 2017.  In fact I see some very Curryesque tendencies with this kid.   To be clear, I am not making a direct comparison between Steph Curry the NBA superstar and Trae Young the high school senior, rather I am attempting to project Trae Young’s potential based on what I have seen so far.  

What I first notice is the same level of athleticism.  It’s not great, it’s slightly above average for an elite player.  Young is not going to be throwing it down in traffic.  Young is not particularly fast either.  But in spite of his lack of elite athleticisim, he is a shifty guard, who has super tight handles, and uses pacing and deception to get clean looks and to get around defenders.  Although his shot percentage is not at Curry’s level, his release is just like Curry’s.  Young has great form, always squares his body, and has a lightning quick release.  If you just look at the two players from a catch-and-shoot comparison they are nearly identical.  Curry of course is the master of creating space and getting off his long shots, and Young is not at that level yet but I can totally see him developing into that.

Another similarity is that both players use pacing and deception to drive the lanes.  I always marvel at how Curry can drive the basket, and although he can’t really dunk, he finds a way to get the ball in the hoop.  Whether that is off the backboard, or a high floater, or a pump-fake reverse layup, Curry can score on anyone down low.  Young, also has the same instincts and again not at Curry’s level, I can easily see Young being the same creative post scorer that Curry is.  

Neither guard is a particularly glamorous distributor, or defender, and this is where Young may actually be better than Curry was at Young’s stage.  Young is a good ball handler and is an elite passer as well.  Going to Kentucky to play under Calipari will be very positive for his development from a defensive point of view and I see Young raising his defensive game to a whole new level.  Although Trae Young is not on anyone’s draft boards, I see him easily developing into an elite college pro prospect and he will definitely play in the NBA if he develops at his current pace.

Hey, remember this is not a direct comparison between the two players as they are now.  This is a comparison of Curry now and what Young might develop into in the years to come based on how he plays now.  What do you guys think?

[evantomesParticipant]

 Young is more like Tyus Jones but with a score first approach rather than pure point. As far as being the best point guard of 2017, Trevon Duval is ahead by quite a bit. 

[Bankroll PJParticipant]

 I agree with pistolpete7 in that Young is more like Tyus Jones but with a score first approach and better shot. Young will be a great college player, probably a better college player than Duval, but I would say the odds are against him to become a better NBA prospect.  Young’s game is fun to watch and I’m hoping he goes to UK and excels there (though UK could become a dark house for Duval since he’s transferring to IMG academy). He’s a great shooter and distributor and plays with great poise, but his athletic limitations are greater than that of Tyus Jones.  Shooting is the ONLY thing that, Trae Young can do better than Tyus Jones, thus I don’t see him as or becoming an elite PG prospect in his class.

[Taylor Gang MikeParticipant]

Love Traes game. He has to go to the right school. He shouldn’t go to a school where he’s gonna be option one like OU or KU. He should go to Washington. Him and Porter would play off each other again and make himself look good. As far as NBA prospects I rate him number 4 behind Duval, Jalek Felton and Jaylen Hands. Trae can shoot but can’t play defense and struggles against bigger guards. 

[Author]

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