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Trae Young Gets Brutally Honest About Being Compared to Luka Doncic: “There’s Been Worse Comparisons”

Published 01/10/2024, 10:27 AM EST

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USA Today via Reuters

The 2018 NBA Draft night has forever linked Trae Young and Luka Doncic. After ending the year with the third-worst record in the league, the Atlanta Hawks won the Doncic sweepstakes. However, he was not who they wanted. Fortunately, the Dallas Mavericks were not only willing to trade the fifth pick, Trae Young but also send a 2019 lottery pick to bring in Luka. The trade worked out for both teams since both players went on to carve a name for themselves, eventually becoming franchise superstars.

However, since that fateful night, the two point guards have been consistently subjected to relentless comparisons. During a recent appearance on the Point Forward podcast, the Hawks guard unraveled his true feelings about the Luka Doncic comparison.

The comparisons don’t faze him

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When asked if it has been tough for Young to enjoy his initial few years in the league amidst all the noise about being compared to Luka, Trae Young stated, “When it comes to the comparison stuff, I know there’s been worse comparisons so like, to be honest, that don’t really affect me”. He then further added that both he and Luka have made a significant impact on the game and their teams, which some players don’t even come close to, and that too in just five years, so it is not too bad being compared to someone like Luka.

USA Today via Reuters

However, now that it has been a few years, his focus lies more on helping his team be more successful. For him, now it is more about being a better leader, building chemistry between teammates, and working towards winning a championship. “So, I don’t look at into our comparison too much, I let other people do that,” remarked the 25-year-old. Despite two All-Star selections and an All-NBA third-team nod, the Texas native feels there is a lot he hasn’t achieved in five years of his career.

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Can Trae Young add a championship to his resume this season?

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For Ice Trae, it is all about finding the balance between enjoying the little moments of success and being hungry for more. Even though he has achieved significant success during his NBA career, there is still one thing he hasn’t checked off his bucket list: a championship. That is what drives him to be better each day. However, the odds of that happening this season are extremely low.

Despite having an offensive engine in Trae, the Hawks have only been good enough to sneak into the playoffs but not good enough to be a title contender. Their season so far has been deeply underwhelming, as they have stumbled to 12th place in the Eastern Conference with a 14-21 record. Although they boast the third-best defense in the league with 122.0 points per game, their defense has slipped to the 28th rank with a defensive rating of 120.3. Considering the trade rumors surrounding their guard Dejounte Murray, a roster overhaul could be on the horizon for the team.

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Do you think the Hawks can turn their season around and exit the basketball purgatory? Let us know in the comments!

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Written by:

Darshita Daga

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One take at a time

“When you think about winning, you go to the extreme '' - I try to stick by Giannis Antetokounmpo’s words. As a passionate reader, who found comfort in libraries, I am pursuing a degree course in English. With my newfound admiration for Giannis and the Bucks, I decided to explore NBA journalism as my career.
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Edited by:

Saumya Khanduja