Isn’t the job of a good player, especially a PG, to elevate the players around him?
Who wins more, Lebron and 4 5th graders, or KD with 4 NBA players? Does that mean Lebron doesn't elevate his teammates? Of course not, because context and degrees matter.
You’re forgetting the most important stat, wins and losses. Harden and Westbrook have a ton. Young doesn’t. Young isn’t even the best player in the Big 12.
Remember when Westbrook led OKC to the 9th spot in the Western Conference sans Durant? Or last year, his MVP season, when he led them to the sixth seed and a first round exit? How about 2 years ago when Harden led the Rockets to a .500 record? But now Harden, with a better coach and much better players around him, is the front runner for MVP. Did Harden change a lot, or did circumstances? Now consider that Trae Young is on a terrible team.
You are 100% forgetting his terrible shots that happen by the handful every game that are essentially turnovers.
Oh, okay. They're literally not "essentially turnovers" because Oklahoma rebounds about 32% of its misses, and likely higher for his "terrible shots" as offensive rebound % is higher on 3s. Plus, you know, teams score far less in transition less off of rebounds than off of turnovers. Aside from that, and the fact that those shots are already accounted for in his excellent TS%, PER, and other indicators, good call. I agree he can do with less forced shots. He's far from perfect.
Now let's talk about how you "are 100% forgetting about his" gravity that is essentially moving defenders further away from his teammates.
I don't see an ounce of Harden or westbrook in him.
So same position, similar A/TO ratios (and both very high), similar insanely high usage rates, a TS% in the same ballpark as Harden (and vastly better than Westbrook), and you "don't see an
ounce?" No one is saying they're dopplegangers, only that similar high usage/high turnover PGs have been awesome in the NBA.
Lets compare Trae Young, who runs Oklahomas offense, to guys in the NBA who do the exact same.
Trae Young per 100: 13.2 assists/7.9 turnovers
harden per 100 (this year): 12.2/5.9
harden per 100 (last year): 14.8/7.6
westbrook per 100 (this year) 14.3/6.5
westbrook per 100 (last year) 14.7/7.7
Harden and Westbrook finished 1-2 in league MVP voting last season with essentially the exact same assist/turnover numbers Trae has.
Seriously, the casual fan narratives that surround Trae Young are just so incredibly awful.
At least someone understands. Trae Young might not be NPOY, but the takes here are really just trashy hyperbole.
