For Trae Young of the Atlanta Hawks, his rookie season was all about proving doubters wrong.
After trading away feted Slovenian wunderkind Luka Doncic on draft night, Hawks General Manger Travis Schlenk’s decision to seemingly choose Trae Young over the 19-year-old EuroLeague MVP was met with widespread jeers and derision.
With that atmosphere surrounding Ice Trae’s first season, expectations were high, and Young did not look ready for the NBA early on in Summer League and in his first month or so in the league. However, Trae continued to improve as the season went on – so much so that he was clearly the second-best rookie in his draft class last season (behind only Doncic).