Trae Young is not at all worried about Jeremy Lin potentially stealing his shine in the Atlanta Hawks backcourt.
Young told Michael Scotto of The Athletic he thinks the pair will “work really well together” and that he hopes to turn the rebuilding Hawks around.
“From what I’ve heard, he’s going to be a great mentor for me,” Young said of Lin. “We’ve been talking. He’s a good dude. He’s been through the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. He’s seen it all, so I’m looking forward to picking his brain.”
The Hawks traded the rights to Euro star Luka Doncic to the Dallas Mavericks in exchange for Young’s draft rights and a future first-round pick on draft night. That trade, along with his collegiate stardom at Oklahoma, will put perhaps the biggest spotlight among rookies on Young heading into next season.
The Hawks acquired Lin in a trade from the Nets this summer in what was essentially a salary dump for Brooklyn. Lin will make $12.5 million in 2018-19 and is returning from a ruptured patella tendon in the Nets’ first game last season.
“I’m very excited about playing for the Atlanta Hawks,” Lin said. “It’s a fresh start for me. The Hawks are a relatively young team, but Trae Young is a talented player. I think I can help him a lot and share my experience playing in the NBA with him.
“I know the Hawks plan to use us on the court together. I had played for the Rockets, Lakers and Hornets that put two point guards on the court simultaneously, so I know Trae and I could play very fast. Coach Lloyd Pierce, one of the (former) coaches for the Warriors, was also my coach, so I have talked to him already. I’m really excited, about the upcoming season, it’s going to be fun.”
Young and Lin are similar players in that they work best with the ball in their hand. Lin has developed a more reliable three-point shot as his career has progressed and had a solid season in 2015-16 with the Charlotte Hornets, where he primarily played the 2. The Nets have exclusively used him as a point guard.
Young won multiple national honors during his lone season at Oklahoma, thanks in large part to his unconscious shooting off the dribble. The Hawks may work to get him a head of steam by running off-ball screens for him, and Young has a quick enough release that even the slightest daylight could result in a triple.
Atlanta is very much in the early stages of a rebuild, though, so they’ll have ample time and opportunity to tinker.
Courtesy: Bleacher Report
