FanPost

The Opportunity Cost of Trae Young

Trae Young is too small.

Not for a human being, of course. For a human beings, he’s at least a few inches above an average man’s height. In shoes, he measures out at six feet and an inch and three quarters, which to me, equals 6’2". I’m 5’10" and a 1/4 and-dollars for donuts-if I was 5’10" and a 1/2 I’d be calling my ass 5’11". I wouldn’t even blink about rounding up three quarters.

But, I didn’t say Trae Young is too short, although he might be that as well, I’m just not completely sure of that yet. He is too small though. He combines his lack of ideal height on a basketball court with a wispy thinness that compounds everything.

He’s not too small to be on an NBA court. He’s an elite talent, skilled scorer, tremendous passer, and uses his gifts to overcome his smallness. He’s an all-star and most likely perennially. And if all that’s true, how can I be so adamant and conclusory that Trae Young is too small. It’s because it’s what he’s too small for, which is to be the number one on a consistently winning, title contending team. And it certainly seems to me that Trae Young thinks he’s the alpha on a perennially contending team.

Trae’s smallness is both the original sin of his game and of Travis Schlenk’s plan to build the franchise around him. Every decision Schlenk makes in roster building is to compensate for the fact that Trae Young is too small. Can’t draft or sign certain players as backcourt mates unless they compensate for Trae’s smallness. Can’t draft or sign anyone that would be too much of a liability on defense because Trae’s smallness both inhibits his ability to defend adequately and forecloses ever being an above average defender-let alone a lockdown defender. Trae’s smallness factors into the type of rim protecting bigs you can add to the roster. And although everyone’s constantly seeking rangy, 3-and-d wings, Trae’s smallness only accelerates that requirement for the Hawks.

It’s not Trae’s fault he’s too small, but it also doesn't change the fact that he’s too small. I get it-I’m sure Schlenk and the Hawks’ front office see what Trae is rather than what he isn’t, and, I generally agree with that method of evaluation. However, what Trae isn’t dictates and underscores every decision the Hawks’ front office makes. And while they probably focus on the positives, they build the roster to compensate for the negatives.

The dichotomy of the Hawks is that they’re at their best when Trae is a high usage, ball dominant player. Trae has to be a high usage, ball dominant player to maximize his talent. No matter how much they want Trae to occasionally play off-ball, he has little value off-ball. You know why? Because he’s too small. He needs the ball to get his shot off-the logo shots, the step backs, the crossovers-he needs the ball to create the space to shoot. He can’t catch and shoot off-ball unless he has a ton of space because he shoots from a low release point with a tippy toe jumper. And because he’s too small.

Having the ball allows Trae to score, but it also takes him time to make the moves he needs to create separation from defenders. That leaves everyone else less touches, which means less flow, less rhythm, and teammates that I think will perpetually be grumbling about his ball dominance. Look, Chris Paul is a tank with an ass that can knock bigger defenders off of him. He also can get to his spot and get his shot off whenever he wants, but he never did and never will make the NBA Finals as the best player on his teams. And that was while consistently being one of the five best players in the league. He’s short, but at least he’s thick. Trae’s not even that.

Trae Young is too small. Too small to be the best player on a perpetually winning playoff team. Too small to be the best player on an NBA title contending team. Too small to have the ball all the time. Too small to not have the ball all the time. Too small to build your team around. In poker parlance, the Hawks are drawing dead.

It’s just a matter of before the Hawks’ front office figures it out, if they haven’t already. So, what are they going to do and how long is it going to take because-regardless of the moves the Hawks make-Trae Young is getting any bigger.

A FanPost expresses the opinion of the community member who wrote it and not that of the blog management.