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Winter is Coming: Trae Young is a New Player

2021 will mark a turning point in Young's career.

Pat Benson

© Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports
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Lately, my Twitter feed has consisted primarily of two topics - the new Spiderman movie and the surge of COVID-19 cases in the NBA. Both got me thinking about the situation the Atlanta Hawks find themselves in, more specifically, their point guard. We're witnessing Trae Young's metamorphosis or, in lamens terms, his villain origin story.

Through his first three professional seasons, Young has taken so much in stride. Of course, the taunts and detractors come with the territory of superstardom. I'm not talking about that—instead, more structural, even institutional gatekeepers seeking to diminish his league status. Coaches and media members alike seem intent on making the 23-year-old go above and beyond to prove himself. As if he got here by luck.

Team USA

Although Young would never say it, I assume early 2021 had to be disappointing for him. After starting in the 2020 NBA All-Star Game, he didn't make the cut the following year. As players dropped out, he never got the call for being a replacement, even though the game was played in Atlanta. Even more confounding, he received just two votes for Third-Team All-NBA. You could count the number of votes he received from the media for the All-Star Game and All-NBA on two hands. 

Last summer, most star players opted out of the opportunity to represent the country during the Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan. Their choices were more than understandable. The NBA just crammed two seasons into one year with a third season on deck.

While the list of available players dwindled, one player seemed perfectly suited to carry the torch for Team USA. Despite having a history with the organization, and the roster having only one point guard, the powers-at-be chose San Antonio Spurs guard Keldon Johnson over Young.

It wasn't embarrassing for Young. It was mortifying for Team USA. Excluding the prodigy point guard contained levels of cringe that surpass the worst Facebook posts and TikTok videos imaginable.

Whether it was vindictiveness from coaches or Nike applying pressure (Damian Lillard was the only player not affiliated with the Swoosh or Jumpman), Young was omitted. Like Isaiah Thomas or Shaquille O'Neal being left off the Dream Team in 1992, this choice has already aged like bananas.

Rules Changes

"That's not basketball." Steve Nash's words carry a lot more weight than any other first-year head coach. The former two-time NBA MVP has always been the coolest and most competitive kid in the classroom. When Nash arraigned Young's playstyle, it set off a chain of events that resulted in the league's rules being changed within the year.

At 6'1 and 170 pounds soaking wet, Young has to get creative to excel in a game built for big men. The pupil of Kobe Bryant utilized the rule book to get to the foul line. Young weaponized defender's size against them. During the 2020-21 NBA season, only James Harden attempted more free throws than Young.

Rather than ask opposing defenses to do better, the NBA instead simplified the rulebook, further solidifying the inherent advantages that larger players have in the game. But don't take it from me. Gilbert Arenas makes the argument better than I ever could.

Health & Safety Protocols

Young tested positive for COVID-19 on Sunday, December 19. Thanks to being vaccinated against the disease, he was asymptomatic during his quarantine. Unfortunately, the Hawks had to do without their point guard for three games, including their nationally-televised Christmas Day matchup against the New York Knicks in Madison Square Garden.

While Young isolated at home in Atlanta, he was forced to watch obnoxious Knicks fans chant "**** Trae Young" while the Hawks got stomped in front of the entire world. The consummate competitor's fingers were extra itchy as he fired off several tweets over the holiday weekend airing out his frustrations with the situation.

It may anger players and fans alike, but I believe the NBA should always be as cautious as possible when dealing with the pandemic. Play is safe until the science is ultimately settled on issues of asymptomatic spread and contagiousness. 

But with that being said, treat every team the same. For example, the Chicago Bulls, Cleveland Cavaliers, and as of yesterday, the Miami Heat, have all had games postponed due to their inability to field the required eight players to compete. Meanwhile, the Hawks currently have the largest roster in NBA history thanks to the bevy of players signed to 10-day hardship contracts.

Following last night's humiliating loss to the Bulls, Young continued to voice his displeasure with the league's unfair decisions. Hear it for yourself in the video below.

All-NBA

Young was putting up video game stats before he missed three games. Despite having zero chemistry of continuity, the floor general has averaged 27.5 points and 10 assists in his first two games back in action.

But like returning to a relationship after an acrimonious breakup, sometimes things just feel different. Unresolved. His floaters are extra devasting, and his crossovers seem mean-spirited. Like 21 Savage on Drake's 'Knife Talk,' Young seems intent on making you feel his presence.

Yes, my thesis is that 2021 will serve as a turning point in Young's career. No, I don't think he will start kicking cameramen in the crotch or spitting on fans (although some may deserve it). Instead, any rose-colored glasses have been replaced by whatever it is Morpheous wears in The Matrix.

Don't worry; we will still be able to count on him doing the right thing on social and political issues. For every LeBron James or Kyle Kuzma who use their platform for self-serving issues, Young will be there to pick up the slack. His character, coupled with his larger-than-life persona, is what's built his legion of young fans who flock to see him across the country.

But for now, Young seems like a changed player. He's weathered the hate, the coaching changes, and the arbitrary hurdles placed before him by the league's elder statesmen. Young is a lock for the 2022 NBA All-Star Game and First-Team All-NBA. Make no mistake; winter is coming.

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Pat Benson
PAT BENSON

Pat Benson covers the Atlanta Hawks for Sports Illustrated's All Hawks. He has covered the NBA for several years and is the author of "Kobe Bryant's Sneaker History (1996-2020)".

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