Washington Wizards fans have a reason to feel great about Trae Young’s start to the season. The veteran point guard brings elite playmaking; he's leading the league in assists by averaging 11.3 per game.
While Saturday night’s win over the Chicago Bulls was very encouraging, the Wizards have a lot of work to do regarding closing out games. Despite the Wizards holding a double-digit lead in the fourth quarter, Washington allowed Chicago to go on a 19-6 run late to bring the score to 118-115 with just 23.3 seconds remaining. Then, suddenly, the Bulls had a chance to steal the game, putting Washington’s late-game execution under pressure.
Besides that, Young has made an immediate impact on the offensive end, scoring at least 20 points in each of his first three games this year. Trae has also recorded 34 assists during that span, coming just one assist shy of recording at least 10 assists in all three games.
Trae Young is providing optimism for the Wizards
One of the biggest reasons for optimism is that Trae can make the game much easier for his teammates.
His ability to push the ball up court before the defense gets set and control the pace can create fast-break opportunities. The Wizards ranked 18th in the NBA in fast-break points last season, averaging 14.4 per game. If Trae continues to play at a high level like that consistently, Washington should improve in that area this season.
Trae’s early production is very encouraging, but his impact goes way beyond scoring. Through his first three games, he has totaled 67 points and 34 assists while committing eight turnovers, giving him an assist-to-turnover ratio of 4.25-to-1.
Even when Young's shot isn't falling, he can still make a huge difference. In Washington’s win over Milwaukee, he went 0-for-6 from 3-point range but finished with 20 points, 13 assists, and a plus-minus of +6. That number means the Wizards outscored the Bucks by six points while Young was on the court.
His ability to create opportunities for others gives Washington another way to generate offense when his shot isn't falling, and that right there separates him from the rest of the point guards in the league.
The comeback attempt by Chicago showed that the Wizards still need to execute better late in games. If Washington can pair Young’s playmaking with more consistent late-game execution, his impact could translate into more wins this season and a potential playoff push.
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