The Collective Charlotte Hornets Bloggers 2018 Mock Draft
By Noah Purser
With the eight pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, the Cleveland Cavaliers select Trae Young from Oklahoma University.
A polarizing player, Trae Young enters the league with high expectations and a copious amount of doubters. Drawing comparisons to Stephen (and Seth) Curry, Trae Young’s offensive game was largely perimeter-oriented as an Oklahoma Sooner.
Young’s shooting numbers were off the charts. He shot nearly 20 shots per game, over half of which were three-pointers. Young also averaged 9 free-throw attempts per game, converting on 86% of them.
A 37% usage player in college, it’s fair to say Oklahoma’s offense was centered around getting Young the ball. As college teams began to take note of this limited offensive strategy, it’s understandable that Young saw his numbers dip late in the 2017-18 season. The primary worry should be his defense, where Young gave up around 108 points per 100 possessions.
Though there are certainly some concerns with Trae Young, the potential for him to become even a shadow of Stephen Curry will be hard for teams to turn down.
Other Player(s) Receiving Votes: Mikal Bridges (1 Vote) and Robert Williams (1 Vote)