We’ve all been marveling at Stephen Curry the last few years because of his first-of-its-kind playing style. Being able to elude defenders, create space and make threes from well beyond the arc has been unreal to watch. Young, though just at the collegiate level, replicated some of those same attributes during his one season at Oklahoma. While he faded in the second half of the season – opponents changed the way they defended him and he wasn't as electrifying because of it – Young has the potential to make a significant impact at the next level.
Obviously, what stands out first and foremost about Young is his range. Especially during the early portion of the season, Young would regularly drop in 3-pointers from several feet behind the line. He made 10 triples in a game against TCU and drilled eight in two other contests. He has a really quick release and excels when he pulls up or pulls back for his jumper. What’s so interesting about Young, though, is that his shooting is probably not his best asset. He’s an elite passer. He’s good at weaving through traffic and around defenders before slipping passes to teammates underneath for easy dunks and layups.
Also extraordinarily impressive about Young, especially because he doesn't have the wow-factor physically, is his propensity to draw fouls. He averaged 8.6 free throw attempts for the Sooners, which is one of the reasons he was able to lead the country in scoring.
While he is crafty and a fairly decent athlete, Young can be erratic when he attacks the basket. Rim protectors hunt down Young’s shots when he drives to the rim and, as a result, his shots get blocked quite frequently. The two greater concerns on Young are his physical limitations and his defensive breakdowns. He’s very small and may have a hard time shooting over the top of longer, more versatile defenders. He also tends to sag on defense. He struggles to contest shooters and elude ball-screens. Young is also turnover-prone, though that was expected in college considering opponents crafted game-plans designed to get the ball out of his hands.
College: Oklahoma
Height: 6'2
Weight: 180
College Stats: 27.4 points, 3.9 rebounds, 8.7 assists
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