Trae Young
wants to come to New York, so if the Knicks have the opportunity to grab the Oklahoma freshman who led the nation in scoring at 27.4 points per game with the ninth overall pick, they need to do it.
The Knicks arent a good team right now, but with the addition of new head coach David Fizdale, they are trying to build a winning culture and an offensive killer like Young — with limitless potential and a willingness to embrace all of the pressures and criticisms and frustration that lies ahead as the Knicks try to reconstruct and elevate the franchise under the direction of Steve Mills and Scott Perry –is the type of captivating talent that the bright lights crave.
The one thing Trae Young does that makes him such a promising NBA prospect | The Next Level | ESPN
Jay Williams gives his 2018 NBA draft scouting report of former Oklahoma Sooners guard Trae Young, saying there’s one specific thing Young does that makes him such a promising prospect.
His pops Ray, a former college stud at Texas Tech who bred Trae for a career in the NBA, knows this all too well and is out here campaigning for a stint in the Big Apple.
“That’s what Trae lives for. He lives for that type of stuff. Just think about it: He’s probably the most talked about, most publicized kid in this draft and he’s been through it all,” Young’s father, Ray, told the Daily News. “Trae’s been scrutinized to the point that he has thick skin. None of that stuff is going to bother him. He was like the darling of college basketball for three months, and then the last month-and-a-half he turned into a bad guy, for some reason.
“So for him to be in a market like New York and understand that it’s all about winning and if you don’t win, there’ll be some scrutiny he’s already been through it.”
The Knicks are scheduled to interview Young on Friday, according to his father, and the family has made no secret that he wants to be on the Madison Square Garden stage.
Knicks fans shouldnt get too excited though. Youngs stock has dropped a bit because of a late-season tail off in his shooting touch and questions about his commitment to defense, but theres no guarantee he will be there at No. 9. That would be a gift from the basketball gods.
In addition to that stumbling block, reports out of MSG say that the Knicks are in the market for a small forward and not a point guard as they are committed to Frank Ntilikina. I personally think young is twice the offensive player and probably half the defensive player Frank is, but the Knicks should only be so lucky to have that problem.
Forwards Mikal Bridges (Villanova) and Michigan State’s Miles Bridges and Alabama combo guard Collin Sexton have been some names rumored to be on the Knicks wish list.
Collin Sexton: A mix of Eric Bledsoe, Russell Westbrook, Donovan Mitchell? | The Next Level | ESPN
Jay Williams gives his 2018 NBA draft scouting report for former Alabama player Collin Sexton, calling him a mix of Eric Bledsoe, Russell Westbrook and Donovan Mitchell with regard to certain skills.
Youngs dad, a former college star at Texas Tech who bred Young for a career in the NBA, had nothing but good things to say about the other players, but in his opinion,
I think Trae does it all. I think it really gets overlooked that he led the country in points and assists. Not only did he do that as a college player, but he did that as a freshman. I just don’t see people talking about that and the one thing people don’t realize about Trae is he loves to pass the ball. He’s only just been able to score because he can shoot and his goal is to lead the NBA in assists. With a player like Collin, what he can bring is that he’s a dog not saying Trae isn’t a dog but Collin is going to go at you, all day, all night. It just depends what a team wants. That’s not to say Collin is not an all-around player or an all-around point guard, but Trae’s proven.”
The Knicks have a trailer load of average guards. GM Scott Perry said he’d only draft another if it translates to a giant upgrade.
“It would only make sense if you feel that guard is far and away better than what you have on the roster,” Perry said. “And we haven’t been able to make that determination yet.”
With the exception of Tim Hardaway Jr. and Trey Burke young is far and away better than the guard on the Knicks roster. Perry probably just isnt sure how likely it is that Young will be available, but it’s good to know that he wants to come to New York and embrace all that is unique, intimidating and intoxicating about the towns basketball culture.
“That would be something special to be in that market,” Ray said. “And I’ll tell you, the way he plays as much scrutiny as he took, he sold out arenas all over the country. People wanted to watch him an hour before the game just warm up and shoot. And I’m not necessarily big on the Steph Curry comparisonsbut it is what it is especially with the following and how people look at my son.”
Can Trae Young follow in Steph Curry’s footsteps? | NBA Countdown | ESPN
Oklahoma Sooners freshman phenom Trae Young keeps filling up the stat sheet and continues to draw comparisons to Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry. Can he live up to it?
New York hoops need a savior, especially while Knicks fans await Kristaps Porzingis return from injury. There are not too many elite players stepping up and volunteering to take that role especially after watching how Carmelo Anthonys brave return home ended in disappointment.
