The Orlando Magic are in desperate need for a point guard, outside shooting and a star. Trae Young could mean the end for a long, arduous rebuild.
Oklahoma Sooners’ guard Trae Young has the potential to transform a franchise. With his gaudy numbers with the Oklahoma Sooners, Young has become a favorite prospect among Orlando Magic fans.
The flashy guard led the nation in scoring (27.4 points per game) and assists (8.7 assists per game) and has solidified himself as a top 10 prospect, at least.
A point guard, especially one with Young’s scoring and playmaking ability is a major need for the Magic. Last season, Shelvin Mack finished the season as the team’s leader in assists with 3.9 per game. And Orlando failed to have a player score more than 20 points per game once again.
Young has the potential to lead the team in both categories. He is someone who can shoot from almost anywhere on the court and dish it to anyone on the perimeter. That is a combination the Magic have not had for a very long time.
Of course, with the pros come the cons.
Young was a turnover machine in college and projects to be a poor defender in the NBA. Plus, with his willingness to chuck up 3-pointers, he will need to reel himself in to fit into professional offenses.
The potential is obvious. The Stephen Curry comparisons may be tired. But Young is the first prospect to remind scouts and pundits of the two-time MVP. A quick trigger from deep, and a crafty scorer around the rim, Young can get hot in an instant and light a spark that could ignite a struggling offense.
With Orlando in desperate need for a long-term answer at point guard and for offensive firepower. Young may be the star that the Magic need to climb out of their hole.
The Good
Let’s begin with the obvious. Trae Young can shoot.
He can pull up from well behind the NBA 3-point line and sink shots with ease. He is not afraid to pull the trigger either, he was given the green light often at Oklahoma and he made the best of it.
One of Young’s best skills in terms of shooting is his shot off the dribble. He is not just a catch-and-shoot player. He can have the ball in his hands and consistently knock down open jumpers as he runs the offense.
Last season, Young shot 36 percent from behind the arc and attempted more than 10 threes per game.
His shot should translate to the next level. It may not be as easy to come by, but his 3-point shot will be his best and most reliable weapon early on.
In terms of his ability to run an offense, Young will have problems with turnovers. But some of that might have been his insanely high 37 percent usage rate. Oklahoma put the ball in Young’s hands and defenses swarmed him. That is asking too much of a freshman to handle.
Like many young guards, he has a knack for finding the open man. He led the nation in assists last season and was terrific on drop off passes and drive-and-kick plays.
Young also was strong in the pick-and-roll. His outside shot forces teams to switch or to try and get close to him before he can launch a three. It opens up centers and forwards as they roll to the rim. He could see some success with Nikola Vucevic in the low post or with throwing lobs to the athletic Aaron Gordon.
Young’s court vision was on full display in college. He was the center of attention and faced double teams more often than not. He was still able to escape them and find teammates.
Although he would be a focus in the NBA, rarely do teams double players anymore, Young will have plenty of room to operate.
Young also has solid handles. In today’s game, point guards have their ball in their hands a whole lot and his ability to separate from defenders with his array of moves is a major plus.
Young’s game is predicated on his offensive skills. His shooting and passing ability are NBA ready. If he lands with Orlando, he will be the premier offensive threat as soon as he hits the floor. He can transform an offense which needs a spark.
The Bad
It will not be pretty for Trae Young on the defensive end. Teams will attack him early and often in his rookie campaign.
His small frame will be a target coaches will try to exploit. He is not strong enough yet to be a lockdown perimeter defender and his height will make it tough to contest shots. At least it is good news to hear he has put on some muscle since the college season ended.
Young’s defensive shortcomings are probably his biggest concern. Magic fans were well aware of the issues Elfrid Payton‘s defense caused. Although Young may bring more on the other end of the floor, weak perimeter defense will put all of Orlando’s bigs in an impossible situation.
The biggest concern is his motor at the defensive end. Top-tier NBA guards are prone to this, look at Russell Westbrook and James Harden. Both exert so much energy to score, they have lapses on defense and it can look ugly.
It is probably too early to tell if Young will have that same issue in the NBA. But if his time at Oklahoma gives any indication, he will need to focus more.
The weaknesses on the offensive side are not as apparent. The turnovers should be less of an issue now that he will not have an otherworldly usage rate. Unless he becomes ultra-crafty, his play style would never allow him to be a serious threat on drives either. And Young’s smallish frame made it hard for him to finish at the rim and over bigger defenders.
Young relies heavily on getting to the foul line as a driver. He averaged 8.6 free throw attempts per game last year. It is a big part of his game. That could lead to some difficult and awkward finishes if he is unable to get that whistle.
Lastly, his frequency to throw up bad shots could be reigned in from a coach like Steve Clifford. The coaching staff and teammates won’t allow a rookie to play that way, it just won’t fly in the locker room.
As strong of a prospect is on offense, he is just as big of a risk on defense.
Draft Sites Say
Kevin O’Connor, The Ringer
"At one point this season, he looked like the greatest freshman guard ever, with dynamic, can’t-miss shooting ability from all over the floor. Young’s shooting percentages off the dribble fizzled, but he’s still a player who can get a team a bucket at the end of the clock. Smooth ball handler who uses silky crossovers, hesitations, and different speeds to keep defenders off balance and create space for his shot. . . . Low release point on his jumper, which might explain his struggles against stiffer competition and night-and-day inconsistency this season. Questionable shot selection has been an issue since high school. Does he have the willingness to play within a system? Average finisher around the rim due to lack of explosiveness and length; he’ll need to become far craftier to score among the trees."
Cole Zwicker, The Stepien
"Young has the dynamism as a pull-up shooter, ball-handler, and passer that every team looks for in a modern skilled NBA lead guard. He’s a better shooter than even his plus 3pt percentage indicates, mostly because he’s creating most all of his own offense and is taking a ton of deep range pull-ups."
William P Desautelle, NBADraft.net
"Trae Young early on in his freshman season is doing things that college basketball fans rarely see … Through Oklahoma’s first ten games, he averaged nearly 30 points and nine assists per game, which is unheard of for any player let alone a freshman … Young has also yet to score fewer than 22 points since the season opener. . . . Young does not have ideal size at 6-2 or length with just a 6-2 wingspan for an NBA guard … These physical limitations can become apparent once he gets all the way to the rim … He lacks the length and vertical explosiveness to finish through NBA length and athleticism and does not project as an efficient scorer at the basket in the NBA."
Final Word
Trae Young fits with the Orlando Magic.
The Magic need a point guard. They need shooting. And they need a franchise player.
But it does not mean he will land with the organization.
Taking him is a massive risk. It could propel Orlando into contention in short order, or it could send them spiraling back down to irrelevancy. Young has that hit-or-miss quality to him. He either is the game-changing point guard he showed at Oklahoma in one year or he is a good shooter who ultimately cannot fill the responsibilities of a starting point guard.
The glaring need at point guard is what could push the team toward Young. They have limited cap space and will not be spending money to sign a guard. Nor do they have many trade assets.
If they do not answer the need through the Draft, it will be hard to sell the fan base on the players currently on the roster. The drastic need at point guard will likely remain.
The debate among Magic fans has been raging for months. Is Young the next Curry? Or just a flashy scorer?
It is the same debate president of basketball operations Jeff Weltman and general manager John Hammond will be having Thursday night.
If the front office believes it is time to take a swing on a potential stud, Young is the guy. He does not have the injury concerns of a Michael Porter Jr. and he will likely be available when Orlando is on the clock with the sixth pick.
Trae Young could invigorate a young team and provide the organization with a star it has been desperate for since the departure of Dwight Howard. A face of the franchise and a marketable talent for a team that hasn’t made the playoffs since 2011.
Despite the fit and the potential to turn Orlando around, Young has major shortcomings. He will hurt Orlando’s defense and will need time to cut down on needless turnovers.
Next: 2018 NBA Draft Preview: Who is Bruce Brown Jr.
The Magic worked out Young recently and if he impressed them enough, he will be the man running the Orlando offense for the next decade.