The biggest story of the 2018 NBA Summer League up to this point has been the play of Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young. While his passing and playmaking have been evident ever since things tipped off for Atlanta in Utah, Young’s renowned ability to get scorching hot from behind the arc just had not shown up. Through his first five Summer League games between Utah and Las Vegas, Young went 6-for-35 (17.1 percent) from downtown.
But Tuesday was a new day, and with it, Young had an opportunity to finally get locked in from three-point range. Going up against the Chicago Bulls, Young was able to rise to the occasion, going 7-for-13 from three en route to a 24-point outing in the Hawks’ 101-93 win.
The thing that really stood out was how comfortable Young looked firing away, even though he had really struggled to hit threes up until this point.
https://twitter.com/NBATV/status/1016834528612999170
Everyone who watched Young at Oklahoma knows that when he’s hot, he has zero conscience and can hit a myriad of absolutely ludicrous shots. He’s capable of pulling up quickly and confidently, getting his feet set and letting it fly from way behind the three-point line.
There was still plenty of room for him to improve — he went 0-for-6 on two-pointers against Chicago — but this is what you want to see out of Young if you’re the Hawks. He’ll have his ups and downs throughout his rookie campaign, but if his highs involve him connecting on seven of his 13 attempts from three in a game, it might make the stretches where he can’t get anything to fall from deep a little more palatable.
