NBA NEWS: Trae Young ‘WILL NEVER’ Make Another All Star Team Due To…
Young was not selected to the starting lineup for the NBA All-Star Game in 2024.
Hawks guard Trae Young was not included in the list of the remaining 2024 Eastern Conference All-Stars, which was revealed Friday night. Young was left out even though he ranked second in the NBA in assists and among the top ten in points per game.
Given the injury statuses of Joel Embiid and Julius Randle, it is now necessary to mention that Young may be designated as a reserve. Although there is no assurance, Young can still make the All-Star Game.
It still doesn’t change the fact that he ought to have been selected for the team in the first place.
I wrote last week, after Young’s selection as an All-Star starter was not announced, that although there was a valid reason for him to be among the reserves, he should definitely be one of the starters.
The justifications for dropping Young are becoming dated and ridiculous at this point. Let’s discuss them.
When debating Young’s skill as a basketball player, the first thing people want to do is focus solely on defence. There is a myth that Young is the worst defender in the NBA and that his defence makes it impossible to create a successful team around him, but this illustrates who follows the Hawks and who doesn’t.
The topic about Young’s defense came up after the Hawks’s loss to the Pacers earlier this year and Snyder was quick to praise Young for his effort on that end:
“I’m delighted you asked; I’ve been saying this all year long and it’s true that people form narratives about themselves. I can show you a lengthy clip of the times he has picked up full court, and it is something that has to be discussed. He has been good both on and off the ball, and he has competed. It’s not—you will discuss Trae’s fantastic offensive performance today, which he did—but one of the things I told him early in the season was that even if his shots weren’t falling, he didn’t quit defending, which is encouraging to see from all angles.
Young is never going to make an All-Defensive Team, but he has put in the effort to try and make an impact on that end.
The next argument that people make is about the Hawks record. They will point to the Hawks’s record of 20-27 and that they are one of the most disappointing teams in the NBA and blame Young for that record.
I will say this: If you take Young off of the Hawks, their record would be definitely worse.
Choosing All-Stars is always difficult and this year, the competition was tough. If Young was supposed to make it, then who should have been left off?
I think every guard that made it, both starters and reserves, had a case to make it. I don’t think Damian Lillard should be starting, but he should be on the team. I think the player that Young should be in over is Orlando’s Paolo Banchero.
Banchero made it as a wildcard on the team, but the arguments for him to be in over Young are almost non-existent. Young has a better statistical profile, and better-advanced numbers, and the Magic are not that much better than the Hawks. Banchero is a rising star in this league, but I don’t think he should have made it over Young.
It is absurd that Young achieved the kind of results and came in second in the fan vote but was left out of the All-Star Game. The criticisms aimed at Young by the media and fans are also applicable to other players who were selected for the All-Star Game. It’s incredible that we’ve reached a stage where a guy with Young’s record and accomplishments is undervalued, but following his second All-Star Game omission, Young is now the NBA’s most undervalued and unappreciated athlete.
