Detroit Pistons: Scouting report for Trae Young, Atlanta Hawks

After ending a five-game skid on Wednesday, the Detroit Pistons (5-5) will now get their first look at rookie phenom Trae Young and his Atlanta Hawks (3-8). Tipoff from State Farm Arena is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. EST.

The Detroit Pistons will conclude a brief, two-game road trip when they visit the Atlanta Hawks on Friday night. Fox Sports Detroit Plus and WWJ 950 AM will carry the television and radio broadcasts, respectively.

Detroit faces one of the league’s weakest teams in Atlanta. The Hawks rank 28th in offensive rating, averaging just 103.2 points per 100 possessions, yet are currently second when it comes to pace of play (106.3 possessions per 48 minutes).

So why the disparity?

Look no further than their league-worst average of 18.5 turnovers per game. More possessions generally lead to more turnovers, and that goes double for a young club like Atlanta

But in order to win, the Pistons will have to contain an early Rookie of the Year candidate in Trae Young.

The point guard is averaging 18.6 points, 8.1 assists, and 3.4 rebounds per game on 42.3 percent shooting. Back on Oct. 21, Young became the second player in NBA history to post a 30-point, 10-assist performance within the first three games of his career.

The only other player to do that? Isiah Thomas in 1981.

He is an excellent passer, particularly off the dribble when you least expect it. Young can be erratic at times. But more often than not, he’s able to evade multiple defenders on his way to the cup.

And don’t let his 3-point shooting percentage of 27.1 fool you. If left open, he will not hesitate to launch from deep. The 20-year-old is averaging 6.4 3-point attempts per game.

On paper, that’s a sub-par average. But I expect that percentage to rise as the seasons goes along. Young has a decent jump shot. Despite not getting much elevation, his motion is clean and he holds his follow-through.

He also possesses a quick release, so even under duress, Young is able to get his shot off in a tight window. If the Pistons are late on their close-outs, he could make them regret it.

In fact, his most efficient offensive play type is spot-up shooting. According to Synergy, Young is averaging 1.318 points per possession (PPP) in those situations.

While spot-up field goals account for just 9.3 percent of his total offense, it’s in the Detroit Pistons’ best interest to apply constant pressure on Young.