Young Invited To Participate In 3-Point & Skills Contests At All-Star Weekend
Trae Young has been invited to participate in both the 3-Point Contest and Skills Competition at All-Star Weekend in Chicago, according to a report from Yahoo Sports’ Chris Haynes. Luka Dončić – Young’s 2018 Draft classmate – was also invited to participate. Young said after practice on Tuesday that he hadn’t yet heard of the invitation (Haynes’ report came out during practice), but would gladly participate if asked. He would be the first Hawk since Kyle Korver in 2015 to participate in the 3-Point Contest.
The Hawks' point guard has established himself as one of the NBA’s best shooters this season, hitting 37.5 percent of his 3-pointers on 9.4 attempts per game. That raw percentage doesn’t quite measure up to some of the league’s other elite shooters, but Young takes some of the deepest and most difficult jumpers in the NBA and very few easy looks. He leads the league in made shots from at least 28 feet and is 30-for-56 (53.6 percent) on catch-and-shoot 3s this season.
Young, who also happens to be an elite passer and ball-handler, finished second in last year’s Skills Competition, losing on a bank shot from halfcourt by Jayson Tatum in the final round and has expressed interest in redeeming himself in Chicago this season.
Young, who is averaging 28.9 points and 8.4 assists on 59.5 percent true shooting, is also eligible for the Rising Stars game (as is Dončić), though he likely wouldn’t play in that game if he makes the All Star team and participates in the 3-Point and Skills contests. He led Eastern Conference guards in All-Star voting when votes were last counted and is putting together a compelling statistical case to earn the first All-Star nod of his career.
