In a league where positionless basketball is the new “norm,” choosing the cream of the crop isn’t always easy for league voters.
Voters are faced with 82 games worth of film to decipher and break down.
It’s not easy and never will be, but it must be done. For example, this year, voters will have to decide whether to put MVP candidates Joel Embiid and Nikola Jokić on the All-NBA First Team together or whether only one belongs on team one.
After a riveting season filled with debates on who’s the MVP, vaccine mandates and blockbuster trades, the regular season finally came to an end on Apr. 10.
Like every year, media members have 24 hours after the season ends to mail in their votes for who they believe earned the right to be on the All-NBA Teams.
Already, many media members released who they voted for via social media. After reading many of these lists, it’s apparent every person that had a vote was a New York Knicks fan the way nobody showed love to Trae Young.
Young had the best season of his career yet. He finished the regular season in a way no player had since Tiny Archibald in 1971-72.
Young became the second player in NBA history to lead the league in total points and assists. He finished the season with an outstanding 2155 points and 737 assists.
To make his All-NBA case even stronger, he finished the season averaging 28.4 ppg and 9.7 assists per game. Did I mention he’s only 23 years old?
He made history, but what else? Young also put up career-high stats across the board. He shot career-high percentages from the field, the three, and averaged the most assists in his career. His season was so good that he almost joined the 50, 40, 90 club.
Only nine guys in NBA history have stepped foot in this club. A player must have a 50% or better field-goal percentage, 40% FG or better from behind the three-point line, and 90% from the free-throw line to get past the bouncer.
Young just barely sat on the outside looking in. He finished the season shooting 46.0% FG, 38.2% 3PT and 90.4% FT.
The amount of stress players put their bodies through is an immeasurable statistic. He remained one of the league’s most durable throughout the year.
No matter the road trips or the back-to-backs, Young remained strong. Ice Trae showed his toughness, or rather the ice in his veins if you will, as he played 76 of the 82 games this year.
Unfortunately, based on the Hawks’ underwhelming season, especially compared to the success of last year’s squad, leaving Young off the All-NBA first team is to be expected. The team finished 43-39 and didn’t have that same cohesiveness that fans saw last year.
Young’s lack of skills on the defensive side of the ball is well known around the league and was taken advantage of by opposing offenses all year.
It’s understandable if voters don’t put Young on the All-NBA First Team, but sometimes the pros just outweigh the cons in sports.
Young’s season was nothing short of incredible, and he deserves to land a spot on All-NBA second team and nothing lower.
