Overall this year’s rookie class has exceeded expectations, but these five NBA teams should be concerned about their first-round selections.
The NBA Draft is inherently a gamble. That’s part of what makes the event so interesting and entertaining. Inevitably, some teams will make great selections while less fortunate franchises will make disastrous choices.
That means that every season there will be first-round picks who fail to live up to their lofty expectations. We’ll discuss five players who fall into that category today. It’s not time for any franchise to give up on a player after roughly 20 games of NBA action, but there are serious reasons to be concerned about their future.
In this list, we examine five guys who are struggling to give teams the value they need, given where they were selected. We start with a point guard who’s putting up big numbers but isn’t being remotely efficient.
MIAMI, FL – NOVEMBER 27: Trae Young #11 of the Atlanta Hawks looks on against the Miami Heat at American Airlines Arena on November 27, 2018 in Miami, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
5. Trae Young
No one expected Young to walk right into the NBA and light the league on fire. However, plenty of scouts believed the terrific shooting ability he showed in college would translate really well to the pro game. Simply put, that hasn’t happened.
The ugly truth is that Young is shooting under 40 percent from the field overall and it’s been even worse from distance. Even pessimistic scouts wouldn’t have expected Young to be shooting under 25 percent on 3-pointers 27 games into the season.
It’s almost a certainty that Young’s shots will start to fall at a significantly higher clip, especially when he’s able to refine his shot selection as the offensive threats around him develop. But he’s a player who needs to be great on the offensive end to outweigh his defensive shortcomings. If he’s good but not great on offense, his outlook is far less rosy.