Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
Previewing Trae Young's 2022-23 NBA Season
All summer, people have questioned the fit between Trae Young and Dejounte Murray. How can two ball-dominant point guards share the backcourt? Is it wise to take the rock out of the hands of a generational pick-and-roll player?
In this player preview, we will answer those two questions and forecast what fans can expect from Young in his fifth NBA season.
Offensive Production
Like all their creations, north-Atlanta rap group Migos had a moment of profundity when they nicknamed Young "Ice Trae." Sure, it's catchy, and the undersized point guard is clutch.
But like H2O, Young can change states and remain the same player. Whether he takes the form of ice, water, or steam, Young is equally impactful without changing his core elements.
We have seen the All-NBA point guard play as ice when he freezes opposing defenses during ultra-unselfish games with 11+ assists (thirty last season). Also, we have seen him play as water when he pours in 40+ point games (ten last season).
This season, Young comes full circle when he plays as steam. Young has spent the summer working on his off-ball game, which included training with reigning NBA Finals MVP Stephen Curry and his personal trainer Brandon Payne.
Head coach Nate McMillan and his staff have also spent the offseason reconfiguring their offensive strategy to move the league leader in total points and assists off the ball. It's a radical move, but if there was ever a player capable of such a transition, it's No. 11.
Defense
Over the past four years, Young has taken a Kill Bill approach to dismantle his haters and their flimsy arguments. The "break glass in case of an emergency" argument that Young's detractors rely on is his defense. Like Uma Thurman's fictional character, Young will take a katana swipe at that argument this season.
In addition to working on his shooting this summer, Young easily put on ten pounds of muscle. Not to mention, he will have Murray helping out on the defensive end of the floor, which will make everyone's life easier.
Lastly, the narrative about Young's defense has been way overblown. Last season, he ranked 21st out of 91 point guards in ESPN's Defensive Real Plus Minus (DRPM) category. Not to mention the fact that the 1-guard is the least important defensive spot on the floor.
Expectations
Last season was a tour de force for Young. He became the second player in NBA history to lead the league in total points and assists, which netted him *squints at paper* All-NBA Third Team.
Young also led the league with 3,729 on-ball picks (the second was Luka Doncic with 3,357), according to Second Spectrum. Watching Young embrace his final form will be nothing short of exhilarating for fans.
Remember, this time last year, fans and media members were writing Young's basketball obituary after the NBA nerfed his ability to get to the foul line. Instead, the prodigy point guard remixed his game on the fly and averaged career-highs in ten different statistical categories.
After all that, do you still believe giving Young his first All-Star teammate will hurt his game? If it were anyone else, would you even be asking?
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