LAS VEGAS (AP) — It’s been a bumpy ride for Atlanta Hawks point guard Trae Young, but on Tuesday he got his shot going.
The No. 5 overall pick out of Oklahoma scored 24 points and made 7 of 13 3-pointers to help the Hawks defeat the Chicago Bulls 101-93 on Tuesday in the Las Vegas Summer League.
Young looked like the player who led the nation in scoring and assists as a college freshman.
“I just try to play my game,” he said. “I try to make the right plays, and if I see an opening, I’m going to knock it down or find my teammates. I’m just trying to get more into rhythm each and every game. I’m just trying to get better and progress and get better. That’s my main thing. I think I’m headed in the right direction.”
Young made just 12 of 52 shots in three summer league games in Utah, and before Tuesday, he had shot just 29 percent in two games Las Vegas. After showing signs of figuring things out with a 21-point, 11-assist performance against New York this past Saturday, he suffered a minor right quadriceps injury on Sunday against Portland. He seemed fine on Tuesday, playing a team-high 33 minutes.
It’s still just July and the sample size is small, but Young’s early struggles reflect the concerns about him being too frail, short and undisciplined to succeed in the NBA. Even in his breakout game against Chicago, he missed all six of his shots inside the 3-point line.
Young isn’t the only high-profile rookie point guard who has encountered rough times in Las Vegas, though. Second-round pick Jalen Brunson, The Associated Press National Player of the Year for Villanova, is averaging just seven points and shooting 19 percent from the field in three games for the Dallas Mavericks.
Meanwhile, Cleveland’s Collin Sexton has been on point. The eighth overall pick out of Alabama is averaging 16.7 points per game and shooting 43 percent from the field in Las Vegas.
