Memphis Grizzlies: Is Trae Young a Future Franchise Savior?

The Memphis Grizzlies are in the midst of a potential rebuild and are desperately in need of a future superstar. Look no further than Trae Young.

The date is March 30, 2008. In the NCAA tournament, the Kansas Jayhawks, who would later win the championship, are playing a very unlikely opponent in the Davidson Wildcats, in the Elite Eight. Davidson were led by an unknown sharpshooter named Stephen Curry who was lighting up college teams with a vengeance. As most great March Madness games do, the game came down to the final possession. Davidson was only down by two with less than 20 seconds to go. Curry, who had averaged 34.3 points during the Wildcat’s run to the Elite Eight, only had to make a 3 to send his team to the Final Four. The unthinkable happened: Curry didn’t shoot the ball; he passed it. There was no fairytale ending — his teammate missed the shot, and Davidson didn’t advance.

However, as we already know, that tournament run was not the end for Stephen Curry. In reality, it was the beginning of Curry’s transformation of basketball as we know it. As he became a  superstar in Golden State, his effects on the game were clear. Basketball became more pace-and-space than ever before, and kids began shooting the ball from farther away than ever before. Stephen Curry became the guy that young players want to emulate.

Sometimes I dream
That he is me
You’ve got to see that’s how I dream to be
I dream I move, I dream I groove
Like Steph
If I could Be Like Steph.

Enter Trae Young

Trae Young could very well be the culmination of Stephen Curry’s transformation of basketball.

Although there’s still plenty of basketball left, the greatness of Trae Young during this college basketball season cannot be overstated. The 6’2″, 180 pound guard is averaging 29.6 points (!!) and 10.7 assists (!!!!) per game as a freshman. He also makes 4.2 threes per game on 42 percent shooting from beyond the arc. Not only is Trae Young dominating college basketball this year, but he’s also doing so in a way where he doesn’t have a true historical comparison. Young is currently leading the nation is both scoring and assists, something that has never been done in the history of college basketball. Perhaps the best statistical comparison for Young in the NBA is Nate “Tiny” Archibald who led the NBA in both scoring and assists in the 1972-73 season for the Kansas-City Omaha Kings.

Obviously, Trae Young is pretty good at basketball.

To be sure, the comparisons between Trae Young and Stephen Curry are definitely solid. Both have unlimited shooting range, both spot-up and off the dribble.  Regardless of who they are playing, both players have the ability to stretch a defense to its breaking point, which opens up the game for the rest of their team. They both are not only shooters, but can also utilize their handle to get to the rim at will.

However, at only 19 years old, Trae Young is a far more complete player than Stephen Curry ever was at Davidson. One of the common critiques about Curry coming out of college is that he was not a true point guard (even today, he’s only the third best passer on the Warriors). Curry averaged 5.6 assists his Junior year at Davidson, and he only averaged 3.7 for his career. Young, who is the current NCAA assists leader, is a far better playmaker and point guard than Curry ever was in college. His vision and playmaking will likely be superior to Curry’s at the next level.

Guaranteed Greatness

There have certainly been many hyped prospects over the years that turned out to be busts. Kwame Brown, Jimmer Fredette, Anthony Bennett … the list could go on forever. Why will Trae Young definitely be different than any of these names?

Whenever people watched LeBron James and Kevin Durant play before they reached the NBA, people knew that there was just something special about them. People never questioned whether LebBon James was going to be great; the only question was how great. There is a certain aura, a capacity for greatness that can be easily seen in players like them. That capacity for greatness captivates us as fans of basketball.

Trae Young has that same aura and capacity like many great players before him. Of course, many other NBA players and basketball minds have recognized this fact.

Like many greats before him, the question for Trae Young is not whether he’s going to be good. The question is whether he can be as good as — or even better than — Stephen Curry.

Next: 4 bold predictions for 2018

Time for a Young Memphis

The time to admit facts for the Memphis Grizzlies has finally come. No matter how you feel about the future of the franchise, the team is directionless. Marc Gasol and Mike Conley may or may not be apart of the team’s future. Regardless, the Memphis Grizzlies need a new franchise cornerstone, a player around whom the fans and city can rally.

There are many other players that could fit this mold for the Memphis Grizzlies. Marvin Bagley, Luka Doncic, and DeAndre Ayton all could become great players in the NBA. However, I would argue that Trae Young has a higher ceiling than any of these guys. Young is doing things that no player has ever done before in college basketball, and he has the potential to be the best point guard in the NBA one day.

The Memphis Grizzlies need a franchise savior. They may just be able to find one who is the culmination of the legacy of a skinny sharpshooter from Davidson.