Why Trae Young Will Be the Greatest Point Guard in NBA History

Gabriel Soctomah
Jun 29, 2020
9 min read

ATLANTA, GA - MARCH 1: Trae Young #11 of the Atlanta Hawks celebrates a shot during the game against the Chicago Bulls on March 1, 2019 at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Jasear Thompson/NBAE via Getty Images)

Yes, that’s right I said the greatest NBA point guard in NBA history. No, it’s not a typo. No, I’m not crazy (although some of you will think I am). I truly believe that Trae Young will be the greatest point guard ever. Ahead of all the NBA point guard legends like Magic Johnson, Stephen Curry, Allen Iverson, John Stockton, Jason Kidd, and even Young’s idol Steve Nash. I’m not saying all these players haven’t left a tremendous impact on the game and haven’t done spectacular things in their career, I’m just saying Trae will be better than all of them.

He Has the Stats to Prove It

HOUSTON, TX - FEBRUARY 25 : Trae Young #11 of the Atlanta Hawks shoots the ball against the Houston Rockets on February 25, 2019 at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Scott Cunningham/NBAE via Getty Images)

Trae, a 21-year-old in his second season of the NBA, cut short due to COVID 19, has rewritten history numerous times already in his career. One example of this is the time he became the third player in NBA history to drop 40-points in ten games before turning 22. The other two players to do this was Kevin Durant and LeBron James! Another example is the time he surpassed Shaquille O’Neal for the most 40-point games by a player in their first two seasons. Trae is now the only player to have (11) 40-point games within a player’s first two seasons, since the 1976-77 merger. The closest players behind are Shaquille O’Neal with (10), Michael Jordan (7), Allen Iverson (6), and LeBron James with (6) 40-point games. That’s a pretty good company! Do you want another example? Okay. He’s also the fourth-youngest player in NBA history to score 50 points in a game. The only players who accomplished the feat at a younger age were LeBron James, Devin Booker, and Brandon Jennings.

Player Comparison

ATLANTA, GA - DECEMBER 3: Trae Young #11 of the Atlanta Hawks dribbles the ball during the game against Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors on December 3, 2018 at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Scott Cunningham/NBAE via Getty Images)

To get a conceptualization of where Trae is right now in his career compared to the greatest NBA point guards we must collate.

Keep in mind that in Trae‘s rookie season he was averaging 8.1 APG (assists per game), 19.1 PPG (points per game) and in his second season 9.3 APG, 29.6 PPG

First, we will compare and contrast John Stockton. The number ONE all-time assists leader, 10x NBA All-Star, and one-time All-Star MVP. There’s no reason why John Stockton shouldn’t be in the greatest of all-time conversation, but how does he compare to Trae? In John Stockton’s rookie season he was averaging 5.1 APG, 5.6 PPG. For his second season, 7.4 APG, 7.7 PPG. All this to say, John Stockton was two years older than Young his second season and Trae still averaged a lot more than him at a younger age. Safe to say Trae did a little better than John Stockton in his first two seasons! In Stockton’s best season of his career, he was averaging 14.5 APG and 17.2 PPG. Astoundingly, Trae was averaging 15.1 more points in his second season than Stockon’s best season of his career! Simultaneously, Young is averaging only 5.2 APG less while averaging 15.1 more PPG

The next comparison is Jason Kidd. Jason Kidd number two on the NBA all-time assists leader, known for his astonishing passing and rebounding has a very respectable resume. Which includes NBA Champion, 10x All-Star, 5x NBA assists leader just to name a few. He is an infrequent and unselfish point guard that every team wished they had. No wonder why many rank him as one of the best to ever play in his position, but should he rank above Young? Kidd’s Rookie year he averaged an admirable 7.7 APG and 11.7 PPG. For his sophomore year, Kidd averaged 9.7 APG and 16.6 PPG, an impressive improvement season to say the least. What about his best season you say? Well, Kidd averaged 10.8 APG and 16.9 PPG, just a reminder that was his best season. Arguably you could say Trae Young had a better rookie season thank Jason Kidd’s best season! So is he better than Trae? Well, he’s done more notable accomplishments than Trae but any savvy person would say he will blow right past Jason Kidd easily.

Another comparison is Steve Nash. Steve Nash was a player Trae Young used to look up to as role model, he took a lot of Steve Nashe's game and translated them into his. And why wouldn’t he? A legendary point guard, number three all-time assists leader, who is extraordinary at scoring and passing, two very important skills any good point guard needs in their repertoire, also a two time MVP. Can Trae grow into a better player than his role model? Let’s compare each other’s stats so far. In Steve Nash’s first two years he played a supporting role behind NBA star point guards like Kevin Johnson, Sam Cassell, and later even, Jason Kidd. Therefore, Nash didn’t average that much of his first two years. Simply this wouldn’t be fair to compare a starter and a player coming off of the bench. So let’s look at Nash's back to back MVP seasons. His first MVP season Nash averaged 11.5 APG and 15.5 PPG, for his second MVP season, 10.5 APG 18.8 PPG. Remember in Trae Young’s second season he averaged 9.3 APG and 29.6 PPG. This means Trae averaged 10-14 more points and only 1-2 fewer assists than Steve Nash’s MVP season! In addition, he was in his 30s during his two MVP seasons. Trae’s second season in the league is almost identical to Steve Nash’s MVP seasons, only Trae is better in some aspects. These are mind-blowing facts! Many would say, even Steve Nash himself, that he too is also a player Trae will blow right past through in the future.

Next point guard comparison is the legendary Hall of Famer Ervin Magic Johnson Jr. He is rightfully so considered the best point guard to ever play the game and considered the best passer of all-time by many. He is 5x NBA champion, 3x Finals MVP, 3x MVP, 12x all-star, 2x all-star MVP, 4x NBA assists leader and a 2x NBA steals leader are just a few accomplishments to name in his career. Those accomplishments are just unbelievable. Only a true superstar athlete can have those stats. So how in the world can Trae be better than a player with those accomplishments? Well to start out, for Magic’s rookie season he was averaging 7.3 APG and 18.0 PPG. And for his second season, 8.6 APG and 21.6 PPG. Very similar stats to Trae only Trae is averaging more assists and points. This is insane considering Trae really has no other superstars on his team while Magic had a championship team. Also for the legendary Hall of Famer’s best season, he was averaging 12.2 APG and 23.9 PPG. Again very similar, but this was Magic’s best season ever. Trae has only played for two seasons and averaging almost the same as Magic did his best championship season. MIND-BLOWING!

And for the last comparison of course Stephen Curry. The player everyone wants to compare with Trae Young. Mostly because of their playstyle, shot form, and shot selection. As you must know Stephen Curry is considered (and I personally think) as the best shooter of all-time. His stats are, 3x NBA champion, 2x MVP, 6x all-star and 1x NBA steals leader. He’s not even done with his career and has these outstanding accomplishments. Will Trae Young be better than the player everyone wants to compare with? I certainly think so and I’m sure you will too after seeing these stats. In Steph’s rookie season he averaged 5.9 APG and 17.5 PPG. For his second season, 5.8 APG and 18.6 PPG. Clearly, Trae surpassed Steph in his first two seasons by a great deal. So let’s compare Steph’s MVP season to Trae’s second season. Steph’s first MVP season he averaged 7.7 APG and 23.8 PPG. Yes, that’s right Trae averaged 1.6 more assists and 5.8 points in his second season to Stephen Curry's first MVP season. Lastly, for the only unanimous MVP season in NBA history, he averaged 6.7 APG and 30.1 PPG. Trae averaged 2.6 more assists and only 0.5 fewer points than Stephen Curry’s unanimous MVP season. Let that sink in for a minute… Trae a 21-year-old man averaged more assists and half a point less than at the time a 27-year-old player with six seasons of experience in the NBA and the only player with a unanimous MVP season…

He‘s Clutch

ATLANTA, GA - MARCH 23: Trae Young #11 of the Atlanta Hawks drenched by teammates after victory over the Philadelphia 76ers on March 23, 2019 at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia.(Photo by Jasear Thompson/NBAE via Getty Images)

The best players in NBA history are able to make shots when their team needs them the most. Just look at guys like Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Larry Bird, and of course Kobe Bryant. Those are all legends that were able to make shots when their team desperately needed them. Trae is doing just that so far. There’s a reason why his nickname is “Ice Trae”. Unpredictable has Young as the NBA’s 7th-highest clutch time shot taker, with 127 clutch shots taken. On those 127 shots, Trae is shooting 45.3 percent. That’s more than Russell Westbrook, James Harden, DeMar Derozan and a lot more other players. Trae has attempted 17 double-clutch (shots that have a direct impact on a game’s outcome – such as buzzer-beaters or potential buzzer-beaters) shots and had a magnificent 50 percent effective field goal percentage on those attempts. Ice Trae has been blessed with the clutch gene, who only the greatest players are fortunate enough to have. If you need a double-clutch shot Trae is the one to take it.

He Is an Unselfish Teammate

ATLANTA, GA - FEBRUARY 9: Trae Young #11 of the Atlanta Hawks passes the ball against the New York Knicks on February 09, 2020 at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Scott Cunningham/NBAE via Getty Images)

All the greatest point guards have one thing in common… they can all pass the ball. The greatest point guards are unselfish, can score, and can pass. Trae Young has all of those assets. Trae always puts his teammates first and I think that’s what’s going to help him a lot to be the greatest point guard in NBA history. Trae Young says, “For me, I'm all about the team. I'm all about winning. I've grown up learning and knowing that winning takes care of everything else.” This just proves that he’s all about getting his teammates involved and winning, two goals that only the greatest players have. Trae Young was 2nd in the NBA for assists per game and assists in a season, in only his second season. Oh yeah and the only guy ahead of him was LeBron James.

He Has the Work Ethic

ATLANTA, GA - JANUARY 20: Trae Young #11 of the Atlanta Hawks celebrates during the game against the Toronto Raptors on January 20, 2020 at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Scott Cunningham/NBAE via Getty Images)

Trae has the motivation and work ethic to be the greatest, he wants to be the greatest. And that’s exactly what he’s going to be if he keeps working as hard as he does his whole career. "I want to lead the NBA in points and assists," Young said in an interview with ESPN. You can see the pure passion and motivation to be the greatest. Trae is always trying to improve on something, even the small details he’s getting better on. That’s how all the legends became legends. By always working on their game and working on the small details most players wouldn’t even think of working on. “I worked too hard not to believe that,” Young said. “So for me, I believed it. I believe in the work I’ve put in, and I feel the work I put in is going to translate to the court. That’s all I’ve been trying to do, and that’s what I’m trying to do right now is try to elevate my game so that we’re in a better position next year.” It doesn’t matter how good Trae Young is, he will always try to improve and get better. Even while averaging 29.6 PPG and 9.3 APG, he is still not satisfied. That’s why he will be the greatest point guard ever, even if he is averaging 11 APG and 35 PPG he will still try and improve.

When Trae isn’t working on his game he is working on his body. He works out three times a day and gained 15 pounds of muscle by working nonstop and force-feeding himself 5 protein shakes a day. This just tells you what he is willing to do to get better at anything. He wants to better on everything his body, his game, his knowledge for the game, everything.

Good Mentors

MIAMI, FL - MARCH 4: Vince Carter #15 of the Atlanta Hawks talks with Trae Young #11 of the Atlanta Hawks before the game against the Miami Heat on March 4, 2019 at American Airlines Arena in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Oscar Baldizon/NBAE via Getty Images)

Mentors and renders can go a long way to helping a player improve in their game. That is absolutely what Trae has around him. From guys like Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durrant around in Highschool to ask questions, to being a ball boy at OU (Oklahoma University) rebounding for Tony Crocker, David Godbold and Blake Griffin, getting some guidance from them, to Steve Nash, Trae’s favorite player as a kid now a huge mentor for him that made him the way he is today, has been around to ask questions and help him in areas in the game, to Vince Carter of course his former teammate that was always around for him to ask questions, like leadership, game situations, and the long live legend Kobe Bryant a person that helped so many people including Trae in developing, I think Kobe played a big part in Trae’s life into becoming a better player. These are just some of the mentors Trae has been blessed to have in his life, that will play a big part in his development and improvement to his career. Guys like those who are always around to ask questions to are what also help him to becoming the greatest point guard ever.

Conclusion

Trae has everything in his favor to be the greatest point guard in NBA history and potentially one of the greatest players in any position. I hope if you felt like saying “Trae Young Will Be the Greatest Point Guard In NBA History” was a foolish statement before, now you realize that this wasn’t as foolish of a statement as you thought.

I believe Trae will work non stop until he’s the best, even then he will still work nonstop. It’s crazy to think that Trae will only get better in his career while being so skilled and intelligent already at this point in his career. With good mentors, dedication, skill, and intelligence Trae will be the greatest player NBA in history to play his position. Doesn’t matter what you do or say that will stop him from grinding every day, striving to be greatest. Trae Young will not rest until he’s the greatest. This is why Trae Young will be the greatest, best, preeminent however you want to word it, point guard ever.