Trae Young

Eric Spyropoulos

On some nights, a star player can take over and will his team to victory. Unfortunately for the Denver Nuggets, that player was Trae Young on Tuesday, who put on an All-Star performance to lead the Hawks to a surprising 125-121 win at Pepsi Center.

"Give them credit, give Trae Young credit," Nuggets head coach Michael Malone said. "He came in here and did exactly what we knew he would do. He dominated the game from beginning to end."

Denver (7-3) jumped out to a fast start, grabbing a 12-0 lead in the first three minutes of the game. Paul Millsap was active on the offensive glass, with three rebounds during that stretch. Although the Hawks began to get second chances on the offensive boards (four offensive rebounds in the quarter), Denver took a 34-25 lead into the second frame. Millsap led the way with 11 points on 5-of-5 shooting from the field.

Atlanta (4-6) used a 23-11 run throughout the beginning and middle stages of the second quarter to get back into the game. The Hawks got hot from deep in that stretch, as they knocked down four 3-pointers, including three from Young. The 3-point onslaught continued down the stretch of the frame, as Atlanta extended its lead to 58-47. The Hawks knocked down seven 3-pointers in the second quarter alone, as they outscored the Nuggets 38-20 in the frame to take a 64-54 lead into halftime.

The Nuggets began to chip away at the lead in the opening minutes of the second half, but Atlanta’s hot 3-point shooting continued and preserved the lead midway through the third quarter. Denver’s defense wasn’t able to generate stops on a consistent basis, as the Hawks took a 98-89 lead into the final quarter. Young dropped 10 points and four assists in the quarter to lead the way for Atlanta.

The Nuggets’ defense stepped up to begin the final frame. After generating several stops, a 5-0 run from Gary Harris tied the game at 101 with just over eight minutes remaining. However, Young and Atlanta’s offense proved to be too much down the stretch, which led to the disappointing home loss for Denver.

"I'm not going to put the loss on our players," Malone said. "We win together, we lose together, and we'll watch film tomorrow and learn from this."

Here are some takeaways from Denver’s loss:

Trae Young put on a show for the Pepsi Center crowd on Tuesday, as his combination of 3-point shooting, passing and ball-handling put constant pressure on Denver’s defense. The second-year guard finished with season-high 42 points and 11 assists (8-of-13 from three), as his mix of playmaking and shooting was Steve Nash-esque.

"Tonight wasn't an aberration," Malone added. "This is who Trae Young is. Those are good shots for him. He puts a tremendous amount of pressure on your defense."

Young’s ability to knock down 3-pointers from several feet behind the line makes him an extremely difficult cover, especially in the pick-and-roll. When Young wasn’t knocking them down himself, he was able to move the ball effectively to find open shooters on the wing or in the corners. With Kyrie Irving coming to town on Thursday, the Nuggets’ defense will have to adjust and prepare for another sweet-shooting guard that possesses dynamic dribbling abilities.

There weren’t many bright spots for Denver on Tuesday, but Barton III’s strong play is a good sign for the Nuggets. The veteran forward dropped 21 points, nine rebounds and four assists against Atlanta and served as Denver’s best offensive player in the loss.

Barton III has now scored in double-digits in six consecutive games, as his play has been a stabilizing aspect of Denver’s offense. Additionally, Barton III has been helping out more on the boards, which has contributed to Denver’s strong defensive start this season.

Effective ball movement fueled the offense

Even though the shooting percentages weren’t ideal, Denver’s ball movement in Tuesday’s game certainly was. The Nuggets had 31 assists to just three turnovers, which helped keep Denver in the game despite Atlanta’s success on the offensive end.

Denver’s offense continues to search for a rhythm, and while Tuesday’s performance was promising, there are still kinks to iron out on that end of the floor. A matchup against Brooklyn’s struggling defense should help the Nuggets continue their search for a flow on the offensive end.

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Denver Nuggets 121, Atlanta Hawks 125: Three takeaways

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TRAE YOUNG, G, OKLAHOMA
Ht: 6-foot-2
Wt: 180 pounds
2017-18 Stats: 27.4 ppg, 8.7 apg, 3.9 rpg

For about a two-month span during the college basketball season, there was no name hotter than Trae Young’s. The Oklahoma Sooners point guard lit up the landscape with high-scoring games, long-range 3-point shooting and an admitted basketball idol in Golden State’s Stephen Curry.

And he rode all of that to being named a first-team All-American.

He was the first player in NCAA Division I history to finish the season leading the country in both scoring (27.4) and assists (8.7). Young's 27.4 points per game was the highest scoring average ever recorded by a Sooner, or Big 12, player. His 8.7 assists was the highest average in OU history and was second-highest in Big 12 history.

Speed is a major part of Young’s game, and this is a player with elite quickness. He’s got a lightning-quick first step and can effortlessly beat any defender off the dribble to get to the rim. Young ran a ton of pick-and-roll in college, so the learning curve there is less than for others. He can hit the ground running in that action in the NBA.

Turnovers, however, were a real issue. Young had at least five in 19 games. He had eight or more in four games, and he had 12 in one game. Correcting it requires Young not taking as many chances with his passes, limiting the number of times he’s dribbling into traffic, improving his ball handling overall, and being aware of the teammate he’s passing to. There were occasions where Young would lob up a pass to the rim to a teammate that wasn’t able to jump up and finish the alley-oop.

Young can make very long 3-pointers, but took too many during the season and missed a big chunk of them. He’ll work to get a fundamental base of playing that will lead him into good shots. But he definitely believes in his 3-point shooting ability, and hit 36 percent from the arc during the season. Young will continue to get more consistent at finishing among the trees at the rim. His vision as a passer is a strength. Young can make all the throws, and with both hands. He just has to work to make the right pass all the time.

Defensively, he has quick feet, active feet, and can keep himself in front of ball handlers. Size and strength are concerns; it will be tough for him to get a hand up that truly disrupts the shot against some of the bigger guards in the NBA. But he’s got very good instincts and quick hands. Young jumps right into passing lanes for steals, and gives good effort on defense overall.

Trae Young needs a team that will put the ball in his hands and give him the green light to score. He has the chance to grow into one of the deadliest scoring guards in the NBA, with the ability to impact an offense with his passing as well. If you need a guard to really push the pace, Young can do that. He’s a perfect match for the speed in which NBA games are being played these days.

Christopher Dempsey: christopher.dempsey@altitude.tv and @chrisadempsey on Twitter

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Prospect Preview: Trae Young

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