Tag: trae young

Trae Young had an emotional moment when he found out he’s an All-Star Game starter

Trae Young is an All-Star starter in just his second year.

The NBA All-Star Game starters were announced Thursday night, which included a number of big names that we’ve grown used to seeing playing in this game.

But it also included a player who will be making his first appearance in the game, let alone in the East’s starting five – Atlanta Hawks second-year star guard Trae Young.

The fifth overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft is averaging 29.2 points and 8.6 assists through 40 games thus far this season, which is pretty darn impressive.

Young was watching the selections on TNT with teammates and family when he got emotional after hearing his name get called:

That’s what it’s all about right there.

LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo are the captains of the West and East. Here are the rest of the starters:

The All-Star Game will be played on Sunday, Feb. 16 in Chicago.

[jwplayer VLAwdChv-q2aasYxh]

Trae Young named NBA All-Star Game starter

On the eve of Trae Young’s second game in Oklahoma since his days as a Sooner, Young is named an Eastern Conference starter for the NBA All-Star game. 2020 East All-Star starters: Atlanta’s Trae Young Boston’s Kemba Walker Toronto’s Pascal Siakam …

On the eve of Trae Young’s second game in Oklahoma since his days as a Sooner, Young is named an Eastern Conference starter for the NBA All-Star game.

In just his second year in the Association, Young is already making waves throughout the league. Drafted fifth overall in the 2018 draft, Young bested the player he was traded for on draft night, Luka Doncic for the 2018-19 rookie of the year award.

So far this season Young is averaging 29.2 points per game, 4.7 rebounds per game, and 8.6 assists per game for the Hawks this season. Young’s 29.2 points per game are third-best in the league behind James Harden and Giannis Antetokounmpo. Young is also fourth in assists per game, trailing stat leader LeBron James by just 2.2 assists per game.

Young joins former Sooners Blake Griffin, Alvan Adams, and Mookie Blaylock as the only Oklahoma players with NBA All-Star appearances.

The NBA All-Star game is set for Feb. 16 at 7p.m. CT on TNT.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

Atlanta Hawks at San Antonio Spurs odds, picks and best bets

Previewing Friday’s Atlanta Hawks at San Antonio Spurs sports betting odds and lines, with NBA betting picks, tips and best bets.

The Atlanta Hawks (9-32) visit the San Antonio Spurs (17-22) Friday at AT&T Center for an 8:30 p.m. ET tip-off. We analyze the Hawks-Spurs odds and lines, with NBA betting advice and tips around the matchup. Atlanta won the first meeting of the season 108-100 at home Nov 5.

The Spurs return home after a 2-2 road trip, capped by a tight 106-100 loss at the Miami Heat Wednesday.

The Hawks snapped a four-game skid with a 123-110 home win against the Phoenix Suns Tuesday. They acquired PG Jeff Teague and SG Treveon Graham Wednesday from the Minnesota Timberwolves for SG Allen Crabbe.

Teague, an 11-year veteran who played his first seven seasons for Atlanta, should provide a reliable backup to PG Trae Young, who scored 36 points in Tuesday’s win.

Get some action on this game or others by placing a bet at BetMGM.

Hawks at Spurs: Key injuries

Hawks

  • SG Treveon Graham (trade pending) out
  • C Alex Len (back) out
  • PF Jabari Parker (shoulder) out
  • SF Chandler Parsons (concussion) out
  • PG Jeff Teague (trade pending) out

Hawks at Spurs: Odds, lines, picks and betting tips

NBA odds courtesy of BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports for a full set of today’s betting odds. Odds last updated at 9:45 a.m. ET.

Prediction

Spurs 128, Hawks 119

Moneyline (ML)

PASS. The Spurs (-357) have won their last 21 home games vs. the Hawks (+275) dating back to 1998, their longest active home winning streak against any opponent. I’m willing to make a small wager here because of that streak, but I can’t justify suggesting to bet/risk that kind of juice – every $3.57 wagered on the Spurs ML profits only $1 if they prevail.

Line/Against the Spread (ATS)

The SPURS (-7.5, -115) are worth backing. They’re 14-5-1 ATS vs. the Hawks in the last 20 meetings. This would be the biggest spread the Spurs have covered this season if they do so, but the Hawks are 2-8 ATS when the line is between 7.5 and 9.5.

New to sports betting? Every $1.15 wagered on the Spurs spread will profit $1 if they win by 8 or more points.

Over/Under (O/U)

The OVER 229.5 (-121) is the STRONGEST PLAY. The two teams rank in the bottom five by defensive points allowed. The Hawks surrender the third-most points per game at 116.9, while the Spurs yield the fifth-most at 114.8 PPG. On offense, the Spurs average 113.6 PPG, ranking eighth; the Hawks are 23rd at 107.4 PPG.

Want some action on this game? Place a bet at BetMGM now. For more sports betting tips and advice, visit SportsbookWire.com.

Johnny’s January record: 11-8-1. Since Dec. 1: 33-18-2.

January strongest plays: 7-3. Since Dec. 1: 18-6.

Follow @JohnnyParlay11 and @SportsbookWire on Twitter.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services.  Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

[lawrence-newsletter]

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=2017]

Atlanta Hawks at Brooklyn Nets odds, picks and best bets

Previewing Saturday’s Atlanta Hawks at Brooklyn Nets matchup, with NBA betting odds, picks and best bets.

The Atlanta Hawks (8-31) will face the Brooklyn Nets (17-20) in the Barclays Center at 6:00 p.m. ET. We analyze Hawks-Nets odds and lines, with NBA betting advice and tips around the matchup.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uGVIxK0x7i8&w=560&h=315]

Place a legal sports bet on this NBA action or other games at BetMGM.

Hawks at Nets: Key injuries

HAWKS

  • PG Trae Young (hamstring) questionable
  • C Alex Len (knee) probable
  • PF Bruno Fernando (personal) questionable
  • SF De’Andre Hunter (foot) questionable
  • SG Evan Turner (hamstring) out
  • PF Jabari Parker (shoulder) out

NETS

  • SG Garrett Temple (knee) questionable
  • SF Wilson Chandler (hamstring) questionable
  • PG Kyrie Irving (shoulder) probable
  • SF Kevin Durant (Achilles) out

Hawks at Nets: Odds, lines, picks and betting tips

NBA odds courtesy of BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports for a full set of today’s betting odds. Odds last updated at 12:00 p.m. ET.

Prediction

Nets

Moneyline (ML)

Will the return of Irving revitalize a slumping Nets (-304) team? With that moneyline price, BetMGM certainly thinks so. Irving’s return couldn’t come at a better time for the Nets who are 2-8 straight up and against the spread in their last 10 games. And the matchup—Hawks PG Trae Young—is perfect,  look at their head-to-head numbers:

[protected-iframe id=”656395d3de290706a17e56ff04ea8b92-159279292-75965725″ info=”https://widgets.sports-reference.com/wg.fcgi?css=1&site=bbr&url=%2Fplay-index%2Fh2h_finder.cgi%3Frequest%3D1%26player_id1_select%3DKyrie%2BIrving%26player_id1%3Dirvinky01%26idx%3Dplayers%26player_id2_select%3DTrae%2BYoung%26player_id2%3Dyoungtr01%26idx%3Dplayers&div=div_stats” ]

Young (hamstring) has also become questionable with left hamstring pain Sunday morning. If he goes, he could be limited laterally, which gives the shifty Irving another advantage. As for the Hawks +240, they have been and are pretty terrible. Like the Nets, they are 2-8 straight up and ATS in their last 10 games but they’ve also lost the past seven games against the Nets (five by double digits). They have the worst offensive rating in the NBA and their 23rd ranked field-goal percentage shouldn’t have much success versus a Nets defense allowing the third-lowest field goal percentage to opponents.

PASS the moneyline:  poor value and bad situation/matchup are the excuses for the Nets and Hawks sides, respectively.

Line/Against the Spread (ATS)

Definitely monitor the injury report because Young’s potential absence will skew things in Brooklyn’s favor even more. The Nets actually play pretty good defense – ranked 13th in defensive rating – and Irving will help their 24th ranked offense (in offensive rating). Also, the Hawks are 1-6 ATS in the last seven games against the Nets, and their 7-14 ATS road record compared to the Nets’ 10-8 ATS home record, makes it easy deciding which line to take.

BET NETS -8.5 (+105).

Over/under (O/U)

Back to the overarching narrative of this Hawks-Nets contest:  The Return of Kyrie Irving. Expect Irving to get a lot of usage, going one-on-one with Young, or Cam Reddish, and we know he likes to put his foes in a spin cycle. There will be a lot of long Nets possessions and we’re getting plus-money to bet Over 228.5 (+105). Furthermore, the Under is 6-2-1 in the last nine meetings in Brooklyn and 12-4-1 in the last 17 overall meetings.

TAKE OVER 228.5 (+105).

Want some action on this game? Place a bet at BetMGM now. For more sports betting tips and advice, visit SportsbookWire.com.

Follow @Geoffery_Clark and @SportsbookWire on Twitter.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services.  Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

[lawrence-newsletter]

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1368]

Trae Young did a great thing by wiping out medical debt. The real shame is that he had to.

Young’s gesture is more than a feel good story. It also acknowledges just how broken our health care system is.

To show the city of Atlanta a little love for the way they’ve embraced him in his rookie year, the Hawks’ Trae Young has donated $10,000 to help wipe out medical debt.

“The city of Atlanta has welcomed me with open arms,” said Young in a statement. “Giving back to this community is extremely important to me. I hope these families can find a bit of relief knowing that their bills have been taken care of as we enter the New Year.”

Young donated the hefty sum to RIP Medical Debt, an Atlanta organization that pays off the medical debt of individuals most in need. According to their website, RIP Medical Debt “uses donated funds to purchase portfolios of bundled medical debt on the secondary debt market for pennies on the dollar.” Because of the way medical debt works, Young’s donation was used to help wipe away $1,059,186.39 of debt. Again, per a release, the average amount abolished is $1,858 for 570 people.  A spokesperson for the organization told CBS News that “every $1 donated relieves $100 worth of medical debt and the money goes to people earning less than twice the federal poverty level.”

I don’t know how the math on all this works, but that’s a not insignificant amount of money any way you slice it and it goes towards the city’s neediest citizens.

Young’s act is very generous, but it goes beyond just being a feel good story.  It’s an absolute travesty that we live in a country where all but the very few have access to affordable health care. Anyone who’s navigated a medical bill or even tried to visit a doctor knows how fundamentally broken our health care system is. Even with good insurance and financial stability, health care bills can become overwhelming. There’s a reason over one-third of the requests on GoFundMe are health care related.   Every day, there’s some new story about the outrageous cost of basic health care–like the insurer that charged $25,865 after a check up for cold. It’s a maddening loop that drives almost 530,000 families per year to bankruptcy.

While no individual alone can fix the system–that power lies in the hands of our elected officials–Young’s act acknowledges just how broken our health care system is and the cycle of poverty it can perpetuate.  It’s hard to fight for institutional change, but the first step is acknowledging that the system is indeed broken.

7 takeaways from round two of NBA All-Star voting

TACKO FALL AND ALEX CARUSO ARE CLIMBING.

Do you hear that? Ah, yes. It’s the sweet, sweet sound of internet chaos. Round two of NBA All-Star voting is in and everyone is just as mad as they were the first go around.

For those of us who love to watch Twitter burn? This is great. For everyone else? All-Star voting is a complete sham. A popularity contest. Do away with the fan vote.

If we’re being honest here, they’re probably right. But that’s also the beauty of the fan vote. It’s chaos!

Here’s a look at how the second round of voting has gone so far. It’s absolutely ridiculous.

Once again, remember, fan voting doesn’t end until January 20. Player voting (25%) and media panel voting (25%) make up the other half of the vote for starters.  The reserves will be chosen by NBA coaches.

In other words, this isn’t how the team is going to look. There’s still a big chance for your favorite player to land on the All-Star team.

In the meantime, though, here are seven takeaways from the NBA’s totally chaotic second go-round of All-Star voting.

LeBron James is king again…

After falling down to third in the first round of All-Star voting, LeBron James has jumped up to first overall with 3,359,871 total votes. Luka Doncic is second with 3,277,870 and Giannis Antetokounmpo is third with 3,259,383.

Alright, look y’all. I’ll say it. Look, James is great. We get it. But THIS IS BORING.

Give us Team Doncic and Team Antetokounmpo. It’s time for the torch to be passed. Just once, it’d be nice to see James be human. Have him drafted with all of the other run-of-the-mill All-Stars. Could you imagine James being drafted as not the number one pick in an All-Star draft? DRAMA.

This is what we need. For the love of everything chaotic in the NBA, vote Doncic and Antetokounmpo.

Trae Young is still the leading guard in the East

TRAE YOUNG HIVE STAND UP! The Hawks guard leads all Eastern Conference guards with 1,389,628 votes.

We do not care that Young plays for the worst team in the NBA. We do not care that he can’t play a lick of defense. We don’t even care that we don’t fully know what’s going on with his hairline.

All we know is that he’s probably the most fun player to watch in basketball right now. That’s all that matters, numbers aside. All-Star games are about fun. This vote is correct.

Tacko Fall!? ALEX CARUSO!?!? CLIMBING!?!?

YUP. THAT’S RIGHT.

We’re doing it, y’all. We’re really going to make Tacko Fall and Alex Caruso All-Stars. We had no idea this was possible, yet here we are being incredibly dumb and incredibly great all at one time.

Tacko Fall has 543,352 votes. Alex Caruso moved up to sixth among all West guards. Objectively speaking, this is incorrect. But if this is incorrect, then what’s the actual point in being right?

This is great. Bald Mamba forever. Tacko Fall forever.

Carmelo Anthony is going to get that legacy spot

Anthony isn’t going to be a starter and that’s fine. But the fans want to see him in this game — that’s clear. He’s still sitting at 8th in the West’s front court voting and has been a pretty fun story this year.

We’ve got to get him in that same legacy spot that went to Dirk Nowitzki and Dwyane Wade last year. It makes too much sense.

Kyrie Irving knows what’s good

Kyrie Irving has been injured for most of the season and still has the second most votes as a guard in the East with 1,351,997 votes.

It’s hard to condone a dude who has missed 70% of his teams games so far being an All-Star starter. But, like Young, Kyrie Irving is just incredibly fun in an All-Star game. And he knows it, too.

…. Fair enough.

At the same time, Spencer Dinwiddie is being disrespected

We have to do better. Spencer Dinwiddie appeared in the first returns for the vote with 94,618 votes. Now, he’s nowhere to be found. He’s been replaced at the 10th spot with Fred VanVleet.

With all due respect to VanVleet, Dinwiddie has been flat out better this season. Hopefully, the players and media do him some justice.

What year is it again?

Because if you look at the voting too quickly you might think it’s 2010.

Derrick Rose is fourth at guard in the East with 918,550 votes and Dwight Howard is 10th in the West front court with 390,037 votes thanks to that Lakers bump.

Two years ago, this being a thing was laughable. Now? It’s…well…still pretty laughable. Yet, here we are.

Yup. We’re definitely living in a simulation.

[jwplayer 0mtHnVpB-q2aasYxh]

James Harden, Trae Young make history in 40-point triple doubles

Neither player shot well in Houston’s 122-115 win, but Harden and Atlanta’s Trae Young had the first-ever pair of 40-point triple doubles.

Houston superstar James Harden and Hawks guard Trae Young made history in Wednesday’s 122-115 win (box score) by the Rockets at Atlanta with the first pair of 40-point triple doubles in the same game.

Harden had 41 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists in 40 minutes for the Rockets, while Atlanta’s second-year guard had 42 points, 13 rebounds, and 10 assists in 39 minutes. Both made four 3-pointers.

Neither player was particularly efficient, with Harden shooting 9-of-34 (26.5%) and Young at 11-of-30 (36.7%). Houston’s former MVP started hot with 22 points in the first quarter on 6-of-10 shooting, but cooled dramatically as the game moved along.

However, both stars had some extinuating circumstances that required them to take on a significant burden for their rosters.

The Rockets appeared rusty after a rare four-day off stretch, making just 13-of-45 shots (28.9%) from 3-point range overall. Moreover, Harden’s backcourt mate, Russell Westbrook, sat out for planned maintenance on the front end of a back-to-back sequence of games.

[lawrence-related id=21283,19880]

For Harden, it’s the 15th triple-double with 40+ points of his eventual Hall of Fame career, which ranks second in NBA history.

Young, on the other hand, was carrying a Hawks squad that was largely overmatched on paper — which led to him facing a healthy share of help defenders from the Rockets late in the game.

It was the first 40-point triple-double of Young’s career and the first in he history of the Atlanta franchise.

Both guards helped make up for their subpar shooting by repeatedly getting to the foul line, with Harden and Young shooting 19-of-23 (82.6%) and 16-of-18 (88.9%) from the stripe, respectively.

The Hawks fell to 8-30 with the home loss. The Rockets won their third consecutive game and fourth of five to improve to 25-11.

[lawrence-related id=21062,21432]

Former Sooners’ guard Trae Young donates $1M worth of medical debt for Atlanta residents (Soonerswir

In partnership with RIP Medical Debt, who relieve medical debt to those in desperate need of assistance and well below the poverty line.

In partnership with RIP Medical Debt, who relieve medical debt to those in desperate need of assistance and well below the poverty line.

Former Sooners’ guard Trae Young donates $1M worth of medical debt for Atlanta residents

In partnership with RIP Medical Debt, who relieve medical debt to those in desperate need of assistance and well below the poverty line.

In partnership with RIP Medical Debt, who relieve medical debt to those in desperate need of assistance and well below the poverty line.

Houston Rockets at Atlanta Hawks odds, picks and best bets

Previewing Wednesday’s Houston Rockets at Atlanta Hawks odds, picks and best bets sports betting odds, with NBA matchup analysis and picks.

The Houston Rockets (24-11) meet up with the NBA’s worst team, Atlanta Hawks (8-29), at State Farm Arena for a 7:30 p.m. ET tip-off Wednesday. We analyze Rockets-Hawks odds and lines, with NBA betting advice and tips around the matchup.

Place a legal sports bet on this NBA action or other games at BetMGM.

Rockets at Hawks: Key injuries

Rockets

  • PG Russell Westbrook (rest) out
  • SG Gerald Green (foot) out
  • C Nene (groin) out

Hawks

  • PF Jabari Parker (shoulder) out
  • PF Bruno Fernando (personal) out

Rockets at Hawks: Odds, lines, picks and betting tips

NBA odds courtesy of BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports for a full set of today’s betting odds. Odds last updated at 4:00 p.m. ET.

Prediction

Rockets 132, Hawks 114

Moneyline (ML)

The Rockets (-358) could open a whole can of butt whoopin’ on the Hawks (+275). G James Harden has played really well in his nine career games in Atlanta despite falling slightly below his career average in points per game (24.7 in Atlanta versus 24.9 for his career); he shoots .504% from the field and .434% from behind the arc. Since his co-star, Westbrook, is taking a load management reprieve against the Hawks, expect Harden to have a higher usage rate than his already NBA-high of 37%. Since I see no reason Harden won’t decimate a Hawks team ranked 27th by defensive rate, PASS on the moneyline due to the lack of value in the -358 odds for the visitors.

Line/Against the Spread (ATS)

Betting ROCKETS (-7.5, -121) is the right play here. What do we know the Rockets and Harden like to do? Shoot free throws; the Rockets rank first in the NBA in free-throw attempts. The Hawks rank 27th in free-throw attempts allowed. That, combined with a glaring offense versus defense mismatch—the Rockets are first in PPG (119.4) and the Hawks allow the second-most PPG (117.3)—makes the Rockets the only side to take.

Over/Under (O/U)

Houston’s opponents shoot below average from long distance (.352%, ranked 19th) but that doesn’t make them good at defending threes, in my opinion, because their opponents are getting off the most 3-point attempts in the NBA. The Hawks have struggled from three so far this season (ranked last in 3-point%) but get up a bunch of attempts per game (35.1, ranked ninth) so if their shots fall, the Over looks great.

I lean OVER 237.5 (-106), not like, because I prefer to bet the total in correlation with the favorite’s playing style and surprisingly enough the Rockets’ Over/Under record is just 15-20. Furthermore, the Hawks’ 23rd-ranked offense (107.5 PPG) is a little too inconsistent for the absurd 237.5 total.

Want some action on this game? Place a bet at BetMGM now. For more sports betting tips and advice, visit SportsbookWire.com.

Follow @Geoffery_Clark and @SportsbookWire on Twitter.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services.  Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

[lawrence-newsletter]

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1368]