Trae Young says a lot of ‘misconceptions’ about him will change this year

Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young is a four-time All-Star and one-time All-NBA selectee, but his flaws are often brought up in conversations about him.

The 27-year-old seems to think there are a lot of “misconceptions” about him, and he believes they’ll change over time. In fact, he thinks many of them will change this season.

“There’s a lot of misconceptions of me,” Young said, per ESPN. “They’ll get changed over time, and I truly believe that.

“And I feel like a lot of it will get changed this year.”

It’s tough to guess exactly what Young is referencing, but his game does have some room for criticism. His defense (which has improved) and offensive efficiency (which hasn’t) are among the areas that are often brought up in discussions about his play.

Regardless, it’s hard to ignore what he’s accomplished during his time in the NBA. He has established himself as one of the top playmakers in the league and even led the NBA in assists per game last season.

For his NBA career, he’s nearly averaging a double-double of points and assists. He’s at 25.3 points, 9.8 assists and 3.5 rebounds per game. Those averages are remarkably impressive, even if his defense and efficiency leave something to be desired.

But as his career continues, he’s also yet to prove that he can be the No. 1 option on a championship-caliber team. He did help the Hawks reach the Eastern Conference Finals in 2021, but they were eliminated in six games and haven’t won a single playoff series since then.

Atlanta has a new-look roster this season but has had to deal with some absences through its first three games. The squad is 1-2 so far. Young has gotten off to a bit of a slow start this season, as he’s averaging 20.7 points, 7.0 assists and 2.0 rebounds per game while shooting just 38.6 percent from the field and 25.0 percent from deep.

But the campaign is still young, and if the former lottery pick wants to change some of the narratives that surround him this season, he still has time to do so.

The Hawks will be back in action on Monday for a road game against the Chicago Bulls. The matchup will mark the beginning of a four-game road trip for Young and company.