Last night, Trae Young quietly put up 39 points on 13-23 shooting, including 5-9 from distance, to go along with his ten assists in a 130-118 loss to the Nets. I swear these stat lines, while ridiculous, are becoming like a walk in the park for the Hawks second-year point guard. And no, that’s normal. Young is one of the best young guards we’ve ever seen in the league, and if somehow you are not sold yet, perhaps his newest accomplishment will convince you.
Yesterday’s 39 point and 10 assist performance was the 12th time in his career that he recorded 30+ points and 10+ assists in a game. All that did was give him the most such games all-time for a player under 22 years old. The previous record-holder was Lebron James, who had 11 games of 30+ points and 10+ assists before turning 22. Oh, and keep this in mind: Trae Young is only 21 years and 76 days old… He still has 3/4 of a season to add to that number.
Trae Young recorded his 12th career 30-point, 10-assist game.
That is the most by any player before turning 22 years old in NBA history. He passed LeBron James, who had 11.
Young is 21 years and 76 days old today…
(h/t @EliasSports ) pic.twitter.com/PjphY60S4I
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) December 5, 2019
Just this year alone, Young already has four games of 30+ points and 10+ assists, and there are several other contests where he finished just a point or an assist shy of adding to his total. There’s a real debate about whether he is already the best point guard in the Eastern Conference, and there isn’t a guard in history that has done the things Young has at his age. This is something I’ll tell my kids about – when the legend of Trae Young began – because this, my friends, is only the beginning.
Young is just starting to scratch the surface of his potential. I said last year; there will be a time in his career where he is averaging 30 and 10 over entire seasons consistently. His ability as a passer is unmatched, and once the Hawks can effectively put a team around him, his assists numbers will skyrocket. However, his skill as a scorer has already taken incredible strides in year two. He’s averaging 28.7 points per game, and his efficiency is way up compared to last year. Even as one of the biggest Trae Young stans after his rookie season, he has surprised me.
So I don’t want to hear the nonsense that Young is putting up empty stats on a bad team. Yes, the Hawks are a terrible team but at no fault to Young. He makes everybody on the floor better as a passer and has already become an efficient scorer that can put up points in bunches from anywhere on the court. Let this all soak in. The Hawks not only found a franchise cornerstone in last year’s draft; they found the player that will eventually be regarded as the best player in franchise history. This young man is something else, and even though Atlanta is among the worst teams in the NBA, he is a pleasure to watch every single night and the reason people should be giddy for the future of this organization.