Trae Young and Luka Doncic were traded for each other in what may be one of the best draft day trades of all time, given how both players turned out. Given that Doncic has a higher profile than Young despite both enjoying similar success, Trae Young was asked about the Doncic shadow on his career.
“I don’t let that bother me. Cause once I win it all, all that stuff will be shown and talked about. All the stuff I’ve done in previous seasons, that’s not going anywhere. If I win a championship, maybe people will start bringing up some of the things that happened in the past. I don’t necessarily worry about that. I am concerned with this season and how I can help my team win this season.”
Trae Young on the Luka Doncic comparisons:
“I don’t let that bother me. Cause if I win it all, all that stuff will be shown and talked about. If I win a championship maybe people will start bringing up some of the things that happened in the past.” 💯
(via @SiriusXMNBA) pic.twitter.com/YZQpdYqeIe
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) October 18, 2023
Winning on the court is all that matters for NBA players ultimately. In his five seasons in the NBA, Trae has taken the Hawks to three playoffs, exiting in the first round twice and in the Conference Finals once. Funnily. Doncic has that same record in the postseason but has had far more impressive individual numbers.
Young’s career average of 25.5 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 9.3 assists are similar to Doncic’s averages of 27.6 points, 8.6 rebounds, and 8.0 assists. But Doncic has been far better in the playoffs.
In the postseason, Doncic averaged a whopping 32.5 points, 9.3 rebounds, and 7.9 assists, but Young has had many poor moments, which has affected his overall averaged and made it 26.4 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 9.0 assists.
Trae Young Feels He’s Treated Differently Than Luka Doncic
Trae Young has spent time on his feelings while being compared to Doncic, giving a really elaborate answer on the comparison earlier in the offseason.
“I don’t even stress over it no more. I know the real ones get it. I feel like for me, once I win a championship, it’ll open up more eyes to what I’ve really done. Especially to some of my peers that I’m compared with. To be honest with you, I have no hate towards nobody, especially Luka. We talk all the time, we got a lot of love for each other, a lot of respect for each other. There are different agendas. The way people look at certain people is different. I feel like eventually, people are going to understand what it is and realize it’s not that far off. We kind of do the same things. We’re different in size but, he can play like I can play… We can both hoop. So, at the same time, that’s just what it is.”
Young saw Doncic get christened as the wonderchild of the NBA while performing at a comparable level. We’re seeing a greater distance in their individual talents develop, but the second Young is in a situation where he can win more often, he likely starts getting the appreciation he feels is missing.
Luka Doncic Was Compared To Michael Jordan After The 2022 Playoffs
Doncic’s Western Conference Finals run in 2022 cemented his status as better than Trae, even though Young had achieved that same feat a season before that. But Doncic’s run captured people’s imagination enough to bring up Michael Jordan comparisons.
“Did you watch Michael Jordan for the first 6 years of his career? That’s who Luka Doncic is right now. He’ll get his Pippen, eventually.”
Missing the playoffs last season was a big blow to Doncic’s appeal around the NBA. Now, with Kyrie Irving, it’s crucial they have a good season this year, or Young will be vindicated in his comments about people treating Luka like he’s way better than him when they have comparable accomplishments.
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