3) You have Trae Young ranked a bit higher on your site’s big board than many draft experts do (which I completely agree with). What specifically do you like about Trae Young’s game? What is it about Young’s film that solidifies him as a Top-5 pick in your opinion?

Zwicker: Frankly speaking, Trae is the most skilled guard I’ve seen come into the league for his age since I’ve been writing about the draft (admittedly not long). He can dribble, pass and shoot, all at an elite level, which is incredibly rare for a lead guard.

The singular skill I look for first from lead guards is that scheme-changing pull-up 3 that dictates how defenses react in pick-and-roll coverage and other sets gravity wise. Trae has 30 foot range, relying on upward momentum to create a shot area without boundary, as well as a lightning quick one-motion release. He pairs those qualities with the quickest transition from his handle to his pull-up probably since Steph. His balance on his shot is also impeccable, and the ability to decelerate and pull up on balance is something most every young guard faces for an elongated period of time once entering the league. Trae is already adept here. Mechanically, Trae’s set point is a little low, but he compensates with release speed. I’m of the opinion that Trae’s numbers in his year at Oklahoma actually undersell his shooting ability. Most every shot he took was a self-created pull-up, a lot of them far beyond NBA 3 and most contested. He’ll get to play off the ball more in the NBA with other players actually able to create a shot for him, and his open looks will increase. It’s a small sample, but he was 14-19 on unguarded catch-and-shoot 3s in the half court this year, and he was also dynamite shooting off movement coming off screens, both illustrative of higher upside here.

While his most *valuable* skill is unquestionably his shot, his *best* skill is his passing. Trae has legitimate passing anticipation to see the play open two moves ahead, is incredible making quick read hit ahead passes in transition (don’t understand why he isn’t given the same coverage here as Lonzo Ball was) and has very advanced overall passing craft. He can make one-handed passes with either hand with precision and high velocity. I don’t think there are 5 players in the NBA who can make the left-handed skip pass Trae made against Rhode Island in the first half of the tournament with their off hand. He’s also adept passing on the move with the functional craft to capitalize on tighter windows, something that is imperative for a 6-foot-2 guard who wont just be able to pass over the top. Trae definitely has the vision and craft as a passer. The gray area points moving forward will be his decision-making (hard to suss out given his insane usage and playmaking burden at Oklahoma) and how well he handles traps.

Lastly, Trae has advanced skill as a ball-handler, already possessing advanced moves like the shamgod in his arsenal. He has the ball on a string even in tight confines, imperative for a pick-and-roll guard, and has fantastic control with a low dribble to the ground (a benefit of his height). He blew by guys like Jevon Carter with an underrated first step, short area explosion and overall plus wheels far more often than he gets credit for. He’s not a high-level athlete, but he has the threat of his shot that will force defenders to play up on him, and he has enough juice off the dribble to separate, although he’ll probably most often rely on deception/changing speeds.

Overall, Trae’s blemishes consist of finishing due to his lack of size and vertical pop, and most importantly, on the defensive side. He’ll get hunted in the playoffs like most small guards do, and he’ll always be a negative on that end. The key is to what degree? Will he be Isaiah Thomas esque bad (he’s bigger) or 2017/18 Damian Lillard passable? If you watch the first Texas Tech game you can see when engaged (and when he has energy) Trae can guard respectably, and I suspect his instincts are far better than he got to show in his “no foul” Oklahoma role due given what we know about his instincts on the other end of the floor.

A lot of this comes down for me to you want offense from your guards and defense from your bigs. If Trae can become salvageable on defense he has the highest upside (along with Luka Doncic) in the class due to the nature of his position and role as an initiator of an offense. Dynamic offensive perimeter players drive the league, and that is within Trae’s outcome range. Also aiding Trae’s projection is he doesn’t need the ball to be effective, differentiating him from other small guards who can’t shoot and who teams have to marry themselves to on-ball for multiple years (Elfrid Payton).

At his apex, Trae can reign hellfire as a shooter and playmaker akin to Curry and Lillard, being the focal point of an elite offense. His ceiling is this era’s version of Steve Nash. While it’s an unlikely outcome, as most generational tail upside outcomes are, it’s one worth chasing.