- NBA veteran defends Trae Young from public backlash
- Beverley says Young is ‘reinventing’ the game
- Beverley stands up for Trae after missing the cut for Team USA
No other player in basketball history has had a bigger impact on the sport than Steph Curry, who literally changed the game for an entire generation of ballers. But if you ask NBA veteran point guard, Patrick Beverley, Hawks youngster Trae Young isn’t too far behind. In fact, according to Bev, the Hawks star is next in line to carry the torch after Curry calls it quits.
“He’s won plenty of games. He’s hit plenty of daggers. He’s reinventing the game,” said Beverley. “Whatever Steph Curry is leaving over, he’s taking it and running with it. Took his team to the Eastern Conference Finals. He’s won big on the road, so you have to give him a lot of credit. And that’s not to take away from anybody else or how they run things at Team USA…”
Are we all going to sit here and act like Trae Young isn’t ELITE?! pic.twitter.com/6G71fx8j5v
— Pat Bev Pod (@PatBevPod) August 16, 2023
Young averaged 26.2 points and 10.2 assists per game last season for Atlanta but was denied All-Star status for the second time in his career.
Curiously, Young also never received an invitation to join Team USA at this year’s FIBA World Cup. Instead, Young was passed up completely in favor of players like Jalen Brunson, Tyrese Haliburton, and even Josh Hart.
For Young, while he has an impressive set of skills, the jury is still out on if he can lead a team to the title. Back in 2021, he came pretty close by coming to within two wins of a Finals berth. Since then, however, it’s been nothing but disappointment for Young and the Hawks.
Why Was Young Not Picked For Team USA?
Since his impressive playoff run a few years ago, Trae has struggled to find success in Atlanta, and there are questions about his game. Individually, while he’s a great shooter and scorer, he can often get tunnel vision that leaves his teammates begging for opportunities. On defense is where Trae is the worst, and it’s well known that he’s become a liability for the Hawks on that end of the floor.
Those factors are a big reason why Young was not tapped to join Team USA in 2023, and it’s why his reputation has taken a noticeable hit in recent years.
The only path to redemption for Trae rests in the postseason. If he can show up in the playoffs and deliver when it matters most, it will go a long way toward showing everyone that he still belongs in the conversation with some of the best point guards in the game.
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