[OhCanada-Participant]

 Game 3 it’s not working. Taking bad shots and the good ones hes missing. Doesnt know how to run a team. Never was a believer but didnt think he’d be this bad I thought he would at least get some stats. Will it take an adjustment period or is this his future?

[ph90702]

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is the best guard in the draft.

[ZouldiersParticipant]

 Give it time. Summer League is pretty much a lose-lose situation for these rookies when it comes to stats anyways.

[joe2324Participant]

just watched him in a few different settings and he looks lost and confused.  

[OhCanada-Participant]

 Yep. Looks frustrated too. Really let Grayson Allen get under his skin tonight. About that. Grayson Allen is going to be one of the most prolific and annoying defenders in the NBA and will be such a valuable role player for Utah. 

[SeattleSuperChronicsParticipant]

 He looks really small. I don’t get the Steph comparison. He’s a legit 6’3” not 5’11”. 

Grayson is absolutely perfect for Utah. 

 

 

[BeastMode716Participant]

 So I’d be careful writing off any Rookies in the SL 

Remember the SL is mainly undrafted & 2nd Round 1st & 2nd year players who are mostly going to Euro & other foreign Leagues who are just trying to get something on Tape & hoping to get noticed

The coaches have no system in place, the rosters are not the regular season roster & a lot of it is pure play ground ball

remember 2017 summer league Lonzo Ball looked like a lock for Rookie of the year & he struggled terribly in the regular season & one year before in the 2016 SL Kris Dunn looked like a Super Star 

No one thought Trai Young would walk into the NBA & dominate b/c he has neither great size or freak athletecism – traits that allow a player to stand out in SL

Young is a System player. I’d focus more on the fact that he’s getting his shots off from his spots, he’s confident & his passing looks nice. But Trae will take prob 3 years to develop in the NBA & he’s the 1st to admit that but his game is structured for the modern NBA. He’s one piece & Atlanta must build around him but don’t give up on him yet 

 

 

 

 

 

[OhCanada-Participant]

 I agree dont overreact, be patient but his spots are from 30 feet away and his shots are contested. Anyone can get those shots. At the very least SL is a good indicator of what players need to improve and what their strengths are.

[llperez]

 while obviously you never want to put too much into summer league, i think using examples of guys who did really well then struggled is the wrong angle. I prefer to see examples of guys who stunk then turned it on in the real nba to say "see summer league doesnt mean much". Lots of guys kick tail in summer league but dont neccessarily translate to the real season, but do we have examples of guys struggling big time and then being good?

Also this has to put a little extra pressure on the hawks becasue they traded out of the 3 pick to get trae. If guys like luka or jackson who were almost unanimously considered better prospects turn out to be better, the hawks will be kicking themselves. 

 

 

[Taylor Gang MikeParticipant]

 He’s getting shots off!? I’ve watched all three of his games and he’s STRUGGLING. He will be OK but he needs picks and he is confused allot. 

[BKGingerSnapParticipant]

I think Trae can be an effective player but let’s be clear about  his limitations. He is undersized as a pg (6’0.5 barefoot, 6’1.75" in shoes, 177.8 lbs, 6’3" wingspan – Isaiah Thomas’ wingspan is 6’4"/  arron holiday (5’11") has a 6’7" wingspan) and only an average run/jump athlete. He might struggle Isaiah thomas style on defense. I think he can succeed as a shooter as he gets more mature and his passing I think is quite good already but he has no experience running an NBA offense and Atlanta’s roster is a very bad fit for him. Atlanta really reached at 3 for Young and even if Doncic didn’t want to play for Atlanta I think its crazy to pass up on JJJ and take Young. I’d be more optimistic about Young if he was playing in Orlando with all the length they have on the front court and perimeter and his offense game would fit in better. 

 

 

 

 

[mowestenParticipant]

 It’s a make or miss league, especially for a guy who dominates the ball as much as Young. The only way he makes it in the league, at least at the level many expect, is if he makes shots.

If he continues to shoot 3 for 16, as he has done through the first three games of summer league, he’s going to struggle to make an impact. If he starts making shots, then he could end of being a significant player.

I mean, really, in a lot of ways that is where we are at with Lonzo Ball. Were it just about basketball with Lonzo, we would be saying the thing that is holding him back from becoming a significant player in the league is his ability to make shots and his assertiveness.

It’s not just about basketball with Lonzo, and that’s another story for another day, but he does a lot of other things at a much higher level than Young. He defends, he rebounds, he moves the ball quickly, he doesn’t over dribble or suck the air out of an offense, he pushes the pace and plays with tempo.

Young not only isn’t making shots, but he’s not defending, he’s not rebounding, and his style and pace of play tends to feature him over dribbling and dominating the crap out of the ball.

It’s still early, and the people who say not to over-react to summer league have a point. But based on what I’ve seen through three games, he has a long ways to go and it starts with putting the ball in the basket.

 

 

 

 

 

[MopgrassParticipant]

 I was thinking about Lonzo here too. Young does need makes to be of any value.

Ball is a plus player whether his shot falls or not. His shot will determine whether he can be a star or not. Magic mentioned waiting until summer to fix his shot. But I’ve heard nothing of it since. Meaning: he’s not reworking it, especially with his miniscus issues. He’s focused on getting jacked. That should help, but dude’s shot needs to fall. 

Ball started off not being able to buy 3’s to save his soul. Then he came on, made them in bunches. Then he forgot how to shoot. I know the shot is ugly as sin and now you see morons on the street trying out his form, but part of me thinks he might actually be an above average 3 point shooter who just has to fix some issues between the ears. 

 

[Jr. ROXASParticipant]

If he’s struggling mightily against end of the bench guys, how much better will he fare against actual NBA players?

And for real, his shooting form looks really of to me. His left arm is bent when he follows through on his shot, making all the power from his shot be generated from his right arm. Also, he releases his shot too early in his shooting motion. His release and his follow through come at 2 different times, and the result is not good. I wonder if anybbody else noticed this.

[properbreaksParticipant]

I noticed it to Jr. ROXAS when I FIRST saw him play. I was really worked up to see him play and I thought I was going to see Steph Curry with the shot or Chris Jackson, but that’s not what I saw. Every time they shoot it looks like it has a chance to go in and it’s a thing of beauty. The same form every time like great shooters do along with getting your feet and stance together before you go up with the shot..

His shot just didn’t look pretty. I was kind of baffled. He gets it off quick, but it looks like he cuts down on his follow thru and it’s not a lot of touch on it when it leaves his hands. It’s like he’s just trying to get the shot off rather than focusing on guiding it softly in.

AT the time I couldn’t say that much bad about it because this was about the middle of the season and he was killing it, but it all caught up to him in conference play. I remember saying to people who were talking about how he was struggle, “his shot just doesn’t look that good.” Even when he would get hot for a minute I’d say yeah it went in, but the next shot didn’t look that great either. I don’t know, maybe he can tweek some things or they can do something because I Think he is going to shoot some really low percentages. if they don’t work with him a little.

[Jr. ROXASParticipant]

Man, this is exactly what I was thinking but you described it way better. "Every time they shoot it it looks like it has a chance to go in". This is so true for real "elite" shooters but is such a stark contrast to Trae Young. That’s why I can’ just get to the Young will be an elite shooter side if he never changes his form. Also, you said it best, when his shots do go in, it isn’t impressive. Because his shot seems like a catapult, it seems like he just throws up his shot with no actual follow through and so his made shots look like they were made with pure luck.

 Man I’m glad somebody sees exactly what I see. I’m sure some other people do too, but you described everything I feel about his mechanics perfectly.

[Andv1 WaitingParticipant]

 I see a  Buddy hield like player so far in regards to summer league play so far…

I still stick by my Jimmer Freddette or Buddy hield call about him and don’t see the Curry player comp..

Until the hawks get some good screeners and players that get him clean looks he will struggle and he needs to work on his B-ball I.Q as he Jacks and Jacks his shots up which is slightly worrying…In regards to P.G play I see more of  Damian lillard play style than Currys..

The big thing is this though give him two-four years/seasons and some actually teaching vs allowing him to jack shots whenever he wants and not being held accountable and see how he actually goes as summer league means very little..

 

 

 

 

[TarHeelRavenParticipant]

 Look at his only season at Oklahoma?  What were his main weaknesses??  He turned the ball over a TON and his defense was non existent.  When I say non existent I mean I don’t think he played a single second of defense and got in a real defensive stance once the entire year.  If he’s not making shots, then it’s going to get ugly very quickly.

[timinator1Participant]

at least be able to compete, and show some glimmer of what he’s going to be. As someone said above, he’s going against undrafted, Euros and never gonna bes. He’s got to look better than this. I think this is immensely troubling.

Let’s suppose he becomes a guy who comes off screens for jumpers, passes well, and runs an offense decently. He’ll always be undersized and a liability on defense…we’ve just described JJ Barea. Atlanta traded Luca and didn’t take Bamba or JJJ to get JJ Barea.

  

[whiteflashParticipant]

 Everyone needs to chill. He’s obviously looked pretty bad, and he’s having trouble adjusting to both the speed of the game and the athletes here, but calling him JJ Barea after three SL games is silly. If he’s shooting 30 foot airballs and dribbling into nowhere in January then we can talk.

[OhCanada-Participant]

 Actually JJ Barea is my candidate for 6th man of the year if Lou Williams starts this year. He didnt shine last year because Mavs were trying to lose games and benched him in the 4th qaurter but he averaged 12 points and 6 assists in 23 minutes per game off the bench last season. With Mavs being competitive he could be in line for an even more productive season.

Bold statement but I gaurantee JJ Barea has a better season then Trae Young’s rookie campaign.

 

[timinator1Participant]

 TY has a lot to learn.

[whiteflashParticipant]

 Literally almost finished that with "and I like Barea". My point was it’s way too early to make any comparisons,  good or bad, for Young. Barea’s not a bad player, but not who you’d take top 3 overall even in a weak draft, which I’ve said this is for months. Give the kid a chance.

[OhCanada-Participant]

Yeah your right just have to wait and see. Hope the best for the kid and for Atlanta but I think he’ll struggle.

[ndbigdaveParticipant]

I was not on the Trae Young bandwagon, he was on an incredible hot streak to begin his college career in a system and on a team that simply let him do whatever he wanted offensively. When he was “on” and was allowed 25 shots a game, of course, he would put up ridiculous numbers. When teams figured things out and pressured him all game and attacked him defensively his productivity dropped immensely. His real plus/minus and on/off numbers are going to be scary bad because in the modern NBA with pick and rolls and forced switching even bad NBA teams are going to pick on him constantly.

That all being said, be ready for when he does have an “on” game again when he drops 30+ points because it will inevitably happen. He will have a massive greenlight I expect this year as the Hawks continue to tank. I also expect the night-to-night defense to lack the intensity of summer league (where guys are literally fighting for survival) so he will find success on some nights by getting to be a volume shooter who certainly can have hot nights. The problem is, the nights he is “hot” are the few nights where he won’t be a net negative to the team.

[2quick4uParticipant]

so when next game he scores 30 pts, will people call him the ROY¿?

it’s funny how people’s opinion fluctuates that fast.. whether people like it or not Trae Young had an historic college season, he did something never done before leading the nation in points and assists and he did it as a freshman.

will he be the next Curry? probably not, there’s only one Curry the same way there’s only been one MJ, but that doesn’t mean he’ll be a bust.

I think he’ll have a rookie year pretty similar to what Damon Stoudamire did, i mean if Damon was able to average 19pts&9ast as a 5´10" PG in a much tougher competition with much more contact and playing a much slower pace, i don’t see why Trae Young won’t average something like 18-20pts&7-8 ast in today’s game and in a very weak east conference.

another very diferent thing is how many games will Atlanta win…i think they’ll be one of the worst if not the worst team in the league, but that’s another conversation.

 

 

[holefillers1Participant]

 Young is the next DJ Augistin

[BothTeamsPlayedHardParticipant]

In isolation, does missing shots in the summer league matter for a lottery pick’s career? No, not at all.

Does recalling that Young was a sub-40 percent from the field, sub-33 percent from three, and 6 TOs per in Big Twelve games help matters? No.

 

 

[IndianaBasketballParticipant]

I guess ppl forget KD shot 33% in summer league. D Rose under 30%. What’s funny is I remember on this site, ppl were questioning Steph in 2009 during summer league. They didn’t think he had the athleticism/quickness to get around defenders. Steph shot under 33%.

You can’t write off a 19 year rookie after a few SL games. He shows advanced understanding using ball screens & reading/reacting. There’s A LOT of little details he has in his game when it comes to that. He’s already getting traps/doubles/hedges, which is opening up the game for his teammates. He can really pass the ball too. 

And the thing I feel comfortable about w/ Young is he’s a worker & I like who he trains with. He’ll get better every season.

[OhCanada-Participant]

 I personally remember all the bad performances in SL. Wiggins and Parker also struggled. Nobody is saying he’s gonna be a bust or unproductive but I feel like picking him 5th overall was a reach as there were other PG’s picked much lower with similar upside and they also passed on guys like Jaren Jackson and Mo Bamba as well as trading down from Luka Doncic and that he has alot to learn in changing his habits.

[IndianaBasketballParticipant]

You may end up being right. We’ll see. 

For those who are overreacting after a few summer league games though . . . Chill. 

 

 

 

[JoeWolf1]

At least he started to spread the ball around a little last night. The first couple games when he was tallying 3 and 4 assist totals he was really out of his game, but against the Knicks he started to tap into his passing ability.

Rookie guards almost always struggle with shooting percentages, and I could see Trae being one of those guys who it takes 2 or 3 years to shoot 40% from the field. Part of that is due to his diminutive stature, but also because of his shot selection.

I think he’ll be a fine player, but not an All-Star level player, I certainly didn’t have him 5th on my big board, but I find it hard to believe that people are shocked that these types of games he’s been having are his intro to the NBA level. This is almost exactly what I thought he’d do early on in the league.

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