After a miraculous playoff run, the Hawks roster is finally recognized among the league’s best, and it starts with their superstar point guard, Trae Young. Nate McMillan was the most recent appreciator of Young, touting in a recent interview that he will “win big.”
“In just under a minute, McMillan praised Young in about every way possible. He started by recognizing what he can do with his skill on the court — stretch defenses with his shooting, scoring at all three levels, getting to the free-throw line, and playmaking as well as anybody else in the game. However, McMillan continues by acknowledging his maturity and fearlessness, which we saw over the second half of the season and into the playoffs.”
Well, oddsmakers aren’t far behind the trend as early odds for the 2022 NBA MVP acknowledge Young’s talent. In what might be a bit surprising to the rest of the NBA world and not so much Atlanta, Ice Trae has equal odds (+1800) with Devin Booker to win the MVP award. Those odds are better than James Harden, Jayson Tatum, Donovan Mitchell, and many other 2021 NBA All-Stars.
Young exploded onto the scene in the 2021 playoffs, averaging just shy of 30 points and 10 assists per game, stealing every headline and becoming enemy #1 in each round leading up to the Eastern Conference Finals. He carried a Hawks team that was +20000 to even make the NBA Finals at one point to the Conference Championship. Young might be a long shot to take home the MVP, but it is nice to see more than just the city of Atlanta recognize his talents.
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