Trae Young Struggles as Hawks Fall to Grayson Allen, Jazz in Utah Summer League
July 6, 2018
The Utah Jazz downed the Atlanta Hawks, 92-87, behind 15 points apiece from Stanton Kidd, Tony Bradley and Georges Niang.
The Jazz wrapped up their Utah Summer League stay 2-1, while the Hawks moved to 0-3 with the loss.
Tyler Dorsey (17 points), Jaylen Morris (14 points) and Antonius Cleveland (14 points) fueled Atlanta's offense as Trae Young struggled to find a rhythm once again.
Trae Young Has to Set Sights on Bouncing Back in Vegas
Trae Young ended his stay in Utah the same way he started it: with a major thud.
After shooting 9-of-36 from the field over his first two games in Salt Lake City, the former Oklahoma floor general floundered to the tune of 10 points on 3-of-16 shooting, including 1-of-8 from three, seven assists and six turnovers against the Jazz.
Here's the good news: Trae's stay in Utah is over, and he'll be afforded a clean slate when the Hawks touch down in Las Vegas for their second summer-league stint.
Assuming he has a short memory, those fresh surroundings should do Young a world of good as he continues to adjust to life playing against longer, stronger defenders who shrink his operating room on the perimeter.
But even if he doesn't, it's important not to overreact.
Summer league is a small sample size that doesn't correlate directly to regular-season success, as Brooklyn Nets guard Spencer Dinwiddie noted, and a bounce-back opportunity that can help squash a nagging narrative is always just a game away.
Perhaps that performance awaits in Sin City.
Grayson Allen Shows His Versatility by Facilitating Jazz Summer-League Offense
Like Young, Grayson Allen didn't shoot the ball particularly well Thursday night as he managed nine points on 2-of-13 shooting.
However, his vision was encouraging.
The Duke product racked up eight assists compared to three turnovers, and he consistently displayed an ability to navigate tight spaces and make the right reads in lieu of forcing up tougher shots in traffic:
On a Jazz team that prizes ball movement, those traits should be highlighted.
Quin Snyder's offense averaged the seventh-most passes per game last season, according to NBA.com's player-tracking data, and Allen looks like he will be a natural secondary or tertiary playmaker alongside Ricky Rubio, Joe Ingles and Donovan Mitchell.
Allen's aggro moments—like his brief scuffle with Young—will naturally draw headlines, of course.
But if he can continue to facilitate the way he did Thursday, his play will overshadow all the extra curriculars soon enough.
What's Next?
The Hawks will open their stay in Las Vegas against the New York Knicks at 5:30 p.m. ET on Saturday. The Jazz will also be in action Saturday at 3 p.m. ET for a clash with the Portland Trail Blazers.