Prospect watch: Trae Young can shoot, but what else can he do?

Nobody has garnered more hype prior to the 2018 NBA Draft than Oklahoma freshman Trae Young.

The 6-foot-2 point guard drew comparisons to Stephen Curry following a sensational start to the season where he posted gaudy stat lines on a nightly basis. Along with collecting four 40-point games already, Young matched a collegiate record for assists with 22 earlier this season.

It's important to remember Young wasn't always touted as a can't-miss prospect. While he was a five-star recruit going to a notable program, the knocks against Young were immediately obvious: He's undersized and largely takes bad shots - yet his perception has since changed after continuously succeeding in spite of his supposed limitations.

Strengths

Insane shooting range

The comparisons to Curry are not unfounded. Young is the best shooter in college, and while his percentages may have dropped following a recent cold streak, nobody commands more respect for their jumper.

Young is a threat to pull up from anywhere inside of 35 feet. His footwork is tight and his release is quick, which allows him to generate open looks against bigger defenders. He extends the defense higher than anyone else in college.

Most players would be benched if they took the shot below, but this is what Young does. He shoots at least five of these shots per night, and when he catches fire, there's simply nothing the defense can do.

(courtesy: Frankie Vision)

Young produces most of his offense on his own. He typically works off a high screen in the middle of the floor, and if the opposing big doesn't step up, Young won't hesitate to pull the trigger. He's averaging 10.2 threes per game.

Secondary scoring

Everything comes from the jumper, but Young can score in other ways.

The constant threat of his 3-point shot forces defenders to play him tight, which gives him an easier time driving past and getting into the paint. His handle isn't flashy, but it gets him anywhere he needs to go and compensates for some otherwise average explosiveness.

Once he gets into the lane, Young will either toss up a soft right-handed floater, or he'll try to draw contact and get easy points. Young averages 9.1 free-throw attempts per game since he's so shifty and adept at baiting fouls. It drives defenders insane.

He also has the ability to go either left or right, which makes him harder to guard. Young is a capable finisher with both hands, so he doesn't mind working either direction, although he's better going middle as most players are.

Intuitive passer

While Young is more of a scorer than a passer, he still racks up 9.2 assists per game by making quick reads while the defense overreacts to his scoring threat.

Oklahoma runs almost all of its offense off a high screen for Young. He tends to draw two defenders in this scenario, giving his teammates a 4-on-3 advantage. Young is particularly good at reading the defense and delivering the right pass, which is usually to the open corner shooter or to the roll man.

Weaknesses

Size is a concern

The biggest knock on Young is his size. Simply put, he's only inches past six feet and wears a slight frame that leaves him vulnerable to being bullied around on the court. This affects him on both sides of the ball.

On offense, he's forced to work harder for his shots. He's prone to traps and if the game is being called tight, Young has a hard time scoring at the rim. He's also going to have trouble playing off the ball and fighting around screens unless he bulks up.

On defense, Young is limited to exclusively guarding point guards. His limited wingspan makes it difficult for him to contest shots against shooting guards. He's got quick hands to poke away steals, but he's also somewhat of a gambler and doesn't show any particular eagerness to get stops.

In all fairness, Young is asked to create on every possession, so it's smart to conserve his energy. But even if he's locked in, Young will still be a liability, especially when he's up against bigger defenders in the NBA.

Forcing his offense

The other issue with Young is his sloppiness on offense. In short, he tends to wing it as he goes, which often puts his team in trouble.

Young averages an unsightly 5.3 turnovers per game, which is often the product of trying to force passes that aren't there. Again, his stature is an issue here, as Young finds it difficult to pass over and around bigger defenders. He's certainly capable of threading the needle, but he fails at the spectacular more than he settles for the routine.

Straddling the tight line between staying aggressive and forcing shots is a constant struggle for Young. Even when he goes off, Young is often taking what would otherwise be considered bad shots. And when his shot is off, it just looks awful.