Listen. There are a lot of things we can definitively say about Trae Young. The dude is one of the best talents we have in the NBA today. Fairly easily.
He’s also a pretty incredible villain when it comes down to it, which makes for some extremely fun moments at times. His shot selection is also confounding, too, which can also lead to some fun (and sometimes miserable) moments for fans.
Personally, I like Trae Young. A lot. I think he’s actually underrated at this point.
But one thing we cannot say is that Trae Young is better than Steph Curry. At least when it comes to basketball. The two point guards are just…not really close. At all.
But you couldn’t tell John Collins that. Nope. In an interview with Bally Sports’ Brandon Robinson, Collins really made a case that Young was a better playmaker and isolation scorer than Curry. And he wasn’t kidding about it.
“I can definitely say for sure that he’s a way better playmaker than Steph and he’s a better isolation scorer… But obviously, there’s different things that he does better and Steph does better.”
– John Collins on Trae Young being compared to Steph Curry
(Via @ScoopB ) pic.twitter.com/2bElMqNDVk
— NBACentral (@TheNBACentral) April 10, 2023
Listen, man. I get sticking up for your guys. That seems like what Collins was trying to do here. But, uh, there’s a line. The stuff actually has to be true. This isn’t, though.
Young ranks in the 57.5th percentile in isolation scoring among his peers. Curry is in the 77.6th. He’s better. By a pretty wide margin, it seems.
On the playmaking end, Young is a proficient pick-and-roll playmaker. He’s averaging 10.2 assists per game, which is incredible. I want to make that clear. There’s no downplaying that. But when you take into account the fact that Curry is the Warriors’ entire offense with and without the ball, things even out.
Again, Young is incredible. But he’s got a ways to go before he can be compared to Curry. I’d bet Collins probably knows that. But you’ve got to gin up your guy when you can, I guess, right?
Regardless, the Hawks’ forward took the L on this one. The internet roasted him.