NBA Rumors: Could Trae Young Be the Prospect Who Drops Down the Board on Draft Night?
Young's deficiencies on the defensive end of the floor could make teams wary of drafting him
The Oklahoma Sooners' Trae Young is one of the most talked about prospects heading into draft night, and understandably so.
His lone season with the Sooners brought him plenty of national attention as he lit up defenses all over the country using his deadly touch from outside and his keen eye for passing.
There are fans convinced that Young could have an impact on the league not unlike the one the Golden State Warriors' Steph Curry has made.
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Young possesses the skills necessary to be a dynamic offensive force in the NBA, but that's just half of the game of course.
There's a reason why Young is not considered as a true can't-miss prospect, and that's because his defense could become an issue at the next level.
Just looking at the advanced defensive metrics on his Sports Reference page, it would seem that Young should be a capable defender in the league, but as ESPN's Kevin Pelton recently pointed out, the issues on that end of the floor will inevitably pop up for Young once teams start to target him.
These past few postseasons have shown that when the going gets tough, teams will not shy away from playing matchup basketball, and Young, being a smaller player who is not super-athletic, will be a popular target.
Now more than ever, players have to be capable of being contributors on both ends of the floor and the concerns about Young's defense could cause teams to draft other prospects who project as safer bets to not be liabilities in any glaring way.
Young's offensive potential is too great to be ignored by every team come draft night, but it would not at all be surprising if he ends up going later than expected as teams continue to fill up their rosters with more versatile players.
