Detroit Pistons Legend Praises Atlanta Hawks Star Trae Young

Hawks All-Star guard lands high praise from Pistons legend.

Nov 8, 2024; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young (11) moves the ball up court next to Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham (2) during the first half at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Reginek-Imagn Images / David Reginek-Imagn Images

After failing to make the playoffs last season, the Atlanta Hawks have drastically improved through the opening weeks of the season. The play of Trae Young has been a major catalyst, as one Detroit Pistons legend gave him high praise.

Following his Hall of Fame playing career, Isiah Thomas now serves as an analyst for NBA TV. Earlier this week, he was asked to give his thoughts on the Hawks as they prepare for the semifinal round of the NBA Cup.

Thomas zeroed in on Young, as he is the center of everything Atlanta does on the offensive end. He feels the Hawks star has gone through a paradigm shift, focusing more on making winning plays than reaching high statistical feats.

"Trae Young has gone from a stat machine to a winner," Thomas said. "He's sharing the basketball and getting his teammates better shots, and he's taking the more difficult shots now, which consequently lowers his field goal percentage, but it translates into winning. Because now, his teammates are feeling better, they work harder on the defensive side, they trust him."

"Trae Young has gone from a stat machine to a winner"

Zeke and the GameTime crew look ahead to Atlanta's clash with Milwaukee in the #EmiratesNBACup Semifinals 👀 pic.twitter.com/w7hbwICxgX

— NBA TV (@NBATV) December 13, 2024

Young is putting up the second-lowest scoring average of his career (21.0 PPG), but is leading the league in assists per game at 12.2 a night. His best individual performance thus far came against the LA Lakers, when he erupted for 30 points and 20 assists in a win. Young already has two 20-20 games under his belt so far this season.

Being called a winner from Thomas is high praise, especially for a fellow point guard. During his time with the Pistons, he was most known for sacrificing individual numbers for team success. Thomas often spread the ball around when running the offense, keeping everyone on the floor engaged and making the Pistons tougher to defend overall. Because of this, they were able to secure a pair of championships in the late-80s and early 90s.