2018 NBA Draft: Trae Young Wants To Become Best Player In The League
Trae Young is one of the most popular prospects heading into the 2018 NBA Draft. He has been one of the most talked about college basketball players for the last year and has even received some comparisons to Golden State Warriors star point guard Stephen Curry. Now, he is making the news once again.
Not only does Young want to prove that he is the best player in the draft class, he also wants to become the best player in the entire league, as noted by a report shared by Bleacher Report.
“I think I’m the best overall player in this draft. My main focus isn’t necessarily to be the best player in this draft. My focus is to be the best player in the NBA. That’s what I’m focusing on each and every day.”
During the 2017-18 college basketball season with the Oklahoma Sooners, Young put up massive numbers. He averaged 27.4 points, 8.7 assists, and 3.9 rebounds per game for the Sooners. Young also shot 42.2 percent from the field overall and knocked down 36.0 percent of his three-point attempts.
Those shooting percentages may not look impressive, but the volume of shots he took at that percentage makes them much more astonishing. Young took 19.3 shots per game, while also shooting 10.3 three-pointers per game. Very few players are asked to shoulder that much of the offensive workload.
Some analysts have had concerns about Young’s size heading to the next level. He played the 2017-18 season at 6-foot-2 and 180 pounds but has been focusing on beefing up this offseason. Young has gained around 10 pounds of muscle, which will be a big move for him.
Trae Young isn't just focused on being the best in this draft: "My focus is to be the best player in the NBA.” https://t.co/31YeE6os2b pic.twitter.com/tZYCUwy0hy
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) May 19, 2018
Young isn’t the only player in the draft this year that thinks he’s the best player in the class. Michael Porter Jr. also has stated that he feels he is the best player in the draft.
At this point in time, Young is being mocked as high as No. 3 and all the way down to No. 9. That range seems to be expected to almost every media member. Very few see him getting past the Cleveland Cavaliers at No. 8 overall.
It will be interesting to see where Young’s draft stock stands following the entire draft process. He will be working out with teams and trying to show them why he thinks he can become the best player in the NBA. Young may never end up being as good as Curry, but he certainly has the potential to be a lethal scorer.
Expect to hear plenty more about Young over the next few weeks as he continues working out for teams and being given more interviews. He has the personality to be a star, but only time will tell if he can live up to the hype that he has set for himself.
