Sunday 31 March 2019 21:28, UK
Former NBA star Muggsy Bogues says he sees similarities between Atlanta Hawks rookie point guard Trae Young and Golden State Warriors superstar Stephen Curry.
The 5ft 3in Bogues carved out a 15-year NBA career and knows all about the difficulties of adapting to the demands of the league when at a physical disadvantage.
Bogues, who played 10 seasons for the Charlotte Hornets and now serves as an ambassador for the team, said he had taken a keen interest in the career of the 6ft 2in Young, whose perceived lack of strength and size provoked questions when the Hawks selected him in last year's Draft.
"I've been watching Trae," said the 54-year-old Bogues. "I'd seen him in college and I knew about the hype he had coming into the league. Would he be able to adjust to that [NBA] level because of his size? Defensively, they thought he'd have a difficult challenge."
"Nonetheless, he has proved them wrong. At the beginning of the season he was not playing stellar basketball. He had to go through that ordeal to find out what the NBA basketball style is like - how to run your team, how to find your team-mates as well. Second half of the season, he has given Luka [Doncic] a run [for the Rookie of the Year award].
The numbers back up Bogues' assessment. Since the All-Star break, Young has averaged 25.8 points, 8.9 assists and 2.8 three-pointers per game, all vast improvements from his early-season output.
Bogues was drafted in 1987 and played all the way through the nineties, an era of ultra-physical basketball. Would Young have had a harder time hitting his stride in that era?
"It probably would be [harder], but hindsight is everything," said Bogues. "Everybody feels like, as a professional, you can play in any era. That's the confidence players have within themselves. I believe Trae would have found it more challenging because it was physical. You could hand-check guys. The lane stagnated with big guys camping out in it."
Bogues believes Young's post-All-Star break form isn't enough to overhaul Dallas Mavericks' star Luka Doncic for the Rookie of the Year award - "Oh, it's definitely Luka's, he's been doing it all season" - but says 'Ice Trae' already reminds him of one of the league's greatest players, Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry.
"Trae needs to get stronger," says Bogues. "He needs to get stronger. That comes with maturity.
"The average player in the NBA takes about four years to develop but some find quicker success than others. Just like Stephen Curry, it's no different.
"You can see the similarities between the two. Steph was not as strong as he is now. He came into the NBA as a slim kid, with people who didn't think he was capable of playing at that higher level. And he's now a two-time MVP and a three-time NBA champion.
"Those original traits (in Curry) are things you see in Trae. He can get stronger, you know he can shoot the basketball. Not only that, his confidence is growing tremendously.
"I don't what to say what his ceiling is. He's just a rookie getting his career going. We'll have to see what his maturation is. I wish him all the best."
