Los Angeles Lakers: Complete 2018 NBA Draft first round grades
5. player. 125. . Point Guard. Oklahoma. Trae Young
The Atlanta Hawks were part of the first trade of the night with the Dallas Mavericks. Atlanta moved back from the No. 3 pick down to the No. 5, picking up a future first rounder in the process. With the No. 5 overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, the Hawks selected Oklahoma point guard, Trae Young.
Leading up to the draft, there was some buzz that Young was dropping down the board. His size is a negative, as he is under 6’2” with a 6’3” wingspan. He was a sieve defensively in college, so there are major concerns about how he will play on that end of the court as well.
However, offensively, Young is very talented. He led the nation in points and assists last season as a freshman, the first time that has ever occurred. Young averaged 27.4 points and 8.7 assists per game. Those are excellent numbers. He has drawn comparisons to Stephen Curry, and Atlanta is hoping that comes true.
That is a lot of pressure to put on a player coming out of college to compare him to a multiple time MVP. However, to make the trade with the Mavericks worthwhile, he will have to come close to that.
Given the holes in his game, Young is a reach at No. 5. Trading away arguably the best prospect in this year’s draft class for him is yet another negative. This was a rough start to the night for the Hawks.