TRAE YOUNG HIVE STAND UP.
Hey, listen. Just going to drop off a fair warning right now. If you AREN’T a member of the Trae Young hive, stop reading right here.
Okay, great. Now that all six of those folks are out of here, the rest of us can have a good time. Because our hardwood lord and savior Rayford Trae Young is straight up making folks look SILLY right now.
He’s literally the ONLY player in NBA history to average at least 28 points and eight assists per game while shooting 40% from deep. It’s just year two.
People thought the Hawks made a mistake trading down to get him. He’s proven those doubters wrong with every moon-ball 3-pointer he’s hit and every no-look pass he’s dished. It’s almost like he’s still running around the Big XII.
Young isn’t new to this, he’s true to this. All the wacky shots and deep threes we seeing this year come natural to him. Here’s a look at the seven wildest shots he’s hit so far in his short career.
7. Trae points to the spot
The best thing about Young when he catches fire is that he knows exactly what he is doing to you. Every deep, ridiculous three is a punch to the gut. Here he just added a bit more sauce to it by pointing to where he shot from after dropping a bomb in Lonzo Ball’s eye.
Tell you what — Ball is a better man than me. Adults should never fight, but after that? I’m sorry. We gotta scrap.
6. Jonathan Issac almost blocked this
Fam. How was this shot not blocked? Dude is a magician. He has to be. This doesn’t make sense. Jonathan Issac was right there on Young’s back. Even altered his form. Didn’t matter. Swish. Just too good to be stopped.
5. From the Logo to start the season
Make some room for Trae, Damian Lillard. He isn’t the only one hitting shots from the logo these days. Young is doing it, too, and in the first game of the season. Remember that slow start he got off to last year? This shot was a message — that ain’t happening again.
4. The Nutmeg against the Nuggets
Nah. This isn’t right. That man has a family. Poor Will Barton. He’s now cursed forever, doomed to live on a never ending loop of this highlight on YouTube until the end of days.
His children’s children’s children will be able to watch this highlight of Young treating him like a run-of-the-mill hooper playing at the local rec center. Imagining such a life gives me chills, man.
3. Over Kris Dunn to take the lead
This was a moment for Young last season. Take a second to think about what’s going on here. This is a rookie pulling up for a potential game winning three with a defender in his face and seven seconds left on the clock. Appreciate that. We don’t see it often.
I remember watching this one live. This was definitely me:
The Bulls ended up winning after four overtimes (!!!) but whatever. Don’t care. Trae Young won.
2. A putback to put the Bucks away
This is the only play here that isn’t a jumper, but I can certainly assure that it definitely belongs because I still don’t know how a 6’1 guard got to that ball. It’s a right place, right time thing, which seems to happen a lot for Young these days.
1. Calling bank FTW against the Magic
Markelle Fultz didn’t deserve this. The Magic didn’t deserve this. But Young absolutely gave it to them anyway. I don’t know if he called bank but, in the words of the immortal Paul Pierce, he certainly called game.
He’s not Steph Curry. He’s not Steve Nash. Atlanta’s point guard is one of a kind and these plays prove it. He makes the unimaginable seem routine and he makes the routine seem pedestrian. It’s just his second year, so there’s plenty more to come over the next decade.
My soul is ready. I’m so excited I can’t even spell.
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