For Hawks guard Trae Young, shooting percentage not his top priority, winning is

Lauren Williams, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Dec 18, 2024

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ATLANTA — Hawks guard Trae Young knows he hasn’t had the best shooting percentages this season. But that’s not where his priorities are focused now.

This season, he’s made 38.9% of his overall field goals and 31.5% of his 3-point shots. But the 26-year-old guard is more focused on his overall impact on the game than on a high shooting percentage and remains confident that his shots will fall eventually.

“It’s just kind of, like, what I’ve said,” Young said. “I know it’s going to fall. My percentages aren’t the way they’ve been, but I’m taking different types of shots, too. I’m obviously getting guys involved, and that’s my main priority, and obviously, the defense is the first priority.

“But, I’m not afraid to take three-quarter shots at the end of the quarters, or late-shot-clock shots for my team, when they throw me the ball and things like that. Like, I’m never going to complain about that or anything. But that is part of the reason, and I’m going to keep doing it for my team. Because some of those shots that are two seconds left on a shot clock, and I shoot it. I haven’t been making as many, but sometimes they go in and they’re big momentum plays.

“So, a lot of guys may not want to take those for their percentages, but me, I frankly, don’t care. I really just want to win, and I hope people around here see that. ... I just, I’m focused on that, and that’s, that’s my only focus.”

His teammates have no worries that Young’s shots will fall more consistently. For Jalen Johnson, all the other things that Young has done this season may go unnoticed to those who watch the Hawks infrequently.

“Trae’s shots always gonna end up eventually falling,” Johnson said. “It takes some people time if they’re going through a little shooting slump, but I won’t even call that a slump. Because he’s doing so much other great things for us, it’s like nobody even notices that, unless you’re not watching the game. So he’s been doing good. We just got to keep on.”

This season, Young leads the NBA in total assists with 314, which is 83 more than the next closest person on the NBA’s season leaders list. Young also dished a league-best 12.1 assists per game, which is 2.2 more per contest than the second-best facilitator.

Young also has taken some tougher shots this season, with nearly 30% of his two-point attempts occurring with a defender within two to four feet of him. He’s also diversified the types of shots, attempting fewer shots from midrange and trying more 3′s from the corner as the Hawks ask him to play off the ball more, according to Cleaning the Glass.

So, with the Hawks asking Young to do so much more, coach Quin Snyder (as he’s apt to do) has taken a more holistic approach to evaluating the point guard’s game.

“I judge how he’s playing, and you know what he’s doing,” Snyder said. “He’s evolving as a player. We’re asking him to do (more). He’s getting more catch-and-shoot. If you’re taking different shots than you have previously, there is an acclimation period. I don’t worry about (it). I think he hit a game-winner a little while ago on a catch-and-shoot 3.

“So to me, it’s more about him defending, leading the team, creating offense for other players, pushing the ball, all those things. And, I think you look at his offensive (stats) ... and they’re terrific, so do we want to hit more shots? Does he want to hit more shots? Of course, and I think as the season goes on, that’ll happen exactly.”

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