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NBA 2020-21: The Final Covid-19 Season?
Thought we needed a new thread for the new season. Still no fans in the seats, but hopefully this will be the final season impacted by COVID-19!
The defending champion Los Angeles Lakers entered the season as the clear favorites to repeat, but if the first week of the season is any indication, several teams appear ready to make repeating very challenging.
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Re: NBA 2020-21: The Final Covid-19 Season?
Christmas Day Games....
- The Heat looked strong in knocking off the Pels 111-98
- The Bucks bounce back from a loss with an easy win over the Warriors. Warriors look like a lottery team again.
- The Nets look in midseason form and a legit championship challenger with the win over the Celtics 123-95. Kyrie and Durant look lethal early.
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Re: NBA 2020-21: The Final Covid-19 Season?
Lakers grab their fist win on the season beating the Mavs 138-115
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Re: NBA 2020-21: The Final Covid-19 Season?
Richard Jefferson dropping a 69 joke on live tv today was pretty funny. Dude isn't bad tho, needs some polishing but he offers a ton of valuable insight during games.
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Re: NBA 2020-21: The Final Covid-19 Season?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
adkindo
Lakers grab their fist win on the season beating the Mavs 138-115
Dallas is in trouble outrebounded 53-27
Second chance pts Lakers with 38...Dallas 0
Ouch
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Re: NBA 2020-21: The Final Covid-19 Season?
Tonight, James Harden has a legitimate chance to score 100 points against the Blazers. He could easily take 50 shots.
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Re: NBA 2020-21: The Final Covid-19 Season?
Games I'm looking forward to tonight:
Minnesota @ Utah
How much have the young TWolves progressed as a team? How much defense will KAT be able to provide? Can Malik Beasley succeed where Damion Lillard didn't? I suspect he might-- unless the Minnesota rotation has changed. (That's a fascinating group of wings and guards, IMO.) For Utah, are they going to jack up 50 threes again? How fun would that be?
Rockets @ Portland
Harden's back, but it's away. (I'd give even money as to boos at home.) With only nine players, he'll have to play a lot. And shoot a lot. We'll get a rather large taste of David Nwaba, who showed quite a bit of promise last year in Brooklyn before he got hurt. Ben McLemore, Jae'Sean Tate, and Sterling Brown are the only other wings/ guards on the roster. Bruno Caboclo, PJ Tucker, and Christian Wood are the bigs, along with KJ Martin, Jr.
Suns @ Kings
How much better will Chris Paul make the Suns? These are the games they need to win to succeed. De'Aaron Fox needs to shoot better. Marvin Bagley needs to be better. These Kings are fun though. The game might be one of those 150 - 140 game. Booker might go for 40.
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Re: NBA 2020-21: The Final Covid-19 Season?
@Zee,
Orlando/Washington could be an interesting divisional matchup.
And I cannot believe, at least on some level, that I am typing this: I have more than a passing interest in the Cavs/Pistons and Thunder/Hornets games given the talent-level similarity between the aforementioned opponents. Sure, the Kevin Love vs. Blake Griffin matchup lacks the appeal of the past, but it somehow still appeals to me. I'm also curious to see if Vernon Carey and Nick Richards, who I believe has a higher ceiling than Carey, receive minutes with Zeller out.
And, granted the Bulls and Grizzlies aren't exactly murderers row - with the Grizz missing at least two key players - but it's still impressive that a severely depleted Hawks team is 2 and 0.
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Re: NBA 2020-21: The Final Covid-19 Season?
POR already is in panic mode because of their atrocious basketball on both ends of the floor the last three games (four if you count the last SAC game). If they lose to the 9-man Rocket rotation, they will be at a low-point that almost screams for desperation.
Pre-season games shouldn't matter, but in this situation, they do. It's not an over-reaction to say there's major problems that don't seem fixable if they lose tonight. If they win tonight, they will have proven nothing. It's a terrible spot to be in. All they can do is win tonight, hopefully easily, keep their heads bowed down, and get back to the practice floor for at least one practice before going to LA for two games.
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Re: NBA 2020-21: The Final Covid-19 Season?
I know it's early and the Pacers have yet to play a serious opponent, but Domantas Sabonis is in a mood.
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Re: NBA 2020-21: The Final Covid-19 Season?
At this point I think the only question left to ask is if the Cavs are going to win the East or if they are going to win the whole thing?
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Re: NBA 2020-21: The Final Covid-19 Season?
The "RJ Barrett looks a lot better" honeymoon lasted exactly one game. He went 2-15 tonight.
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Re: NBA 2020-21: The Final Covid-19 Season?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
BuckeyeRed27
At this point I think the only question left to ask is if the Cavs are going to win the East or if they are going to win the whole thing?
I'm not sure they can take the Spurs in the finals.
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Re: NBA 2020-21: The Final Covid-19 Season?
Appears the Magic are on pace to win 82 games....
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Re: NBA 2020-21: The Final Covid-19 Season?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
M2
I know it's early and the Pacers have yet to play a serious opponent, but Domantas Sabonis is in a mood.
Early returns suggest that 1)Nate Bjorkgren is the home run HC hire that this franchise needed. 2) Bjorkgren`s system agrees with the players, as it extracts every bit of potential from all of them, including Sabonis. 3) Bjorkgren has already gotten more production from McBuckets - who is every bit the shooter that Duncan Robinson is, and also a better athlete - than his predecessor. 4) The narrative of Sabonis and Turner not fitting together remains bunk.
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Re: NBA 2020-21: The Final Covid-19 Season?
Jarrett Culver has averaged 12 and 8 over the first two games of this season. He's getting about 20 mpg and deserves more.
The "issue" is that the TWolves have six guys who are playing guard and wing spots-- and at least four of them are playing great ball right now. Minnesota's plan, then, has been to pull a San Antonio, moving a wing to power forward. Culver has thrived as a small ball PF. He's defending like he did in college and has shot incredibly well (especially at the corner). His athleticism allows him to guard four positions. He rebounds well in space and has shown a knack for corralling long caroms.
Anthony Edwards has also moved into that hybrid, small ball PF. About half his minutes have come at that spot, and he's been much better than I expected, especially as a shooter. (Remember, it's early in the season.) That's helped the Wolves defend at the PF spot better, as both guys have long arms and quick feet. It's also allowed Minnesota to get out on the break. Edwards will often streak to the other end, for example, looking for a KAT outlet pass. That allows Edwards (and Culver and Okogie and Beasley) to play one-on-one-- his strength-- attempting to score. KAT hit Edwards with multiple three-quarter length outlet passes against Utah last night, and the number one pick scored each time. (That's really good coaching, IMO.)
Malik Beasley hasn't been hitting on all cylinders yet. Nor have KAT and Russell. They've certainly been serviceable. Beasley gives them a third option and perimeter guy who's shown a (surprising) willingness to drive straight to the hoop. (I'm guessing Saunders has really focused on finding good shots from deep or the rim, as pretty much the entire team has focused on those two spots.) Beasley's shooting hasn't been elite, but it should improve.
Defensively, they switch on all pick and rolls not including KAT or Naz Reid. (Watch for opposing teams to pick and roll with centers to negate that advantage and get some clean looks moving forward. They've done it already, but have missed more than they ought to on the perimeter.) It helps that Russell and Rubio are taller PGs who've shown they're fine switching when they need to. Okogie's been picking up three-quarters court when he's in the game. And he's playing hard. If he could shoot, he'd be an All-Star.
If Culver's leap forward is real,
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Re: NBA 2020-21: The Final Covid-19 Season?
- Are the Hawks the most fun team to watch in the NBA?
- Is Trae Young the most fun player in the NBA to watch?
- Do we ever get to a point where we consider the Hawks the winner of the Doncic/Young trade?
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Re: NBA 2020-21: The Final Covid-19 Season?
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Originally Posted by
adkindo
- Are the Hawks the most fun team to watch in the NBA?
- Is Trae Young the most fun player in the NBA to watch?
- Do we ever get to a point where we consider the Hawks the winner of the Doncic/Young trade?
1. I'd argue Brooklyn, Toronto, Minnesota, Indiana, San Antonio, and Dallas are all equally as fun or moreso.
2. Nope. Not until he plays even a little defense.
3. Nope. Doncic is an All-Star MVP level guy. Trae Young scores a lot of points and passes okay.
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Re: NBA 2020-21: The Final Covid-19 Season?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Bourgeois Zee
Jarrett Culver has averaged 12 and 8 over the first two games of this season. He's getting about 20 mpg and deserves more.
The "issue" is that the TWolves have six guys who are playing guard and wing spots-- and at least four of them are playing great ball right now. Minnesota's plan, then, has been to pull a San Antonio, moving a wing to power forward. Culver has thrived as a small ball PF. He's defending like he did in college and has shot incredibly well (especially at the corner). His athleticism allows him to guard four positions. He rebounds well in space and has shown a knack for corralling long caroms.
Anthony Edwards has also moved into that hybrid, small ball PF. About half his minutes have come at that spot, and he's been much better than I expected, especially as a shooter. (Remember, it's early in the season.) That's helped the Wolves defend at the PF spot better, as both guys have long arms and quick feet. It's also allowed Minnesota to get out on the break. Edwards will often streak to the other end, for example, looking for a KAT outlet pass. That allows Edwards (and Culver and Okogie and Beasley) to play one-on-one-- his strength-- attempting to score. KAT hit Edwards with multiple three-quarter length outlet passes against Utah last night, and the number one pick scored each time. (That's really good coaching, IMO.)
Malik Beasley hasn't been hitting on all cylinders yet. Nor have KAT and Russell. They've certainly been serviceable. Beasley gives them a third option and perimeter guy who's shown a (surprising) willingness to drive straight to the hoop. (I'm guessing Saunders has really focused on finding good shots from deep or the rim, as pretty much the entire team has focused on those two spots.) Beasley's shooting hasn't been elite, but it should improve.
Defensively, they switch on all pick and rolls not including KAT or Naz Reid. (Watch for opposing teams to pick and roll with centers to negate that advantage and get some clean looks moving forward. They've done it already, but have missed more than they ought to on the perimeter.) It helps that Russell and Rubio are taller PGs who've shown they're fine switching when they need to. Okogie's been picking up three-quarters court when he's in the game. And he's playing hard. If he could shoot, he'd be an All-Star.
If Culver's leap forward is real,
I am impressed with your analysis, which reflects good observations. I agree with you that I think Culver is ready for a move to the starting 5. That still leaves Rubio and Antman on the second unit.
Twolves had a nice win over Utah in SLC last night. They led from the middle of 1st quarter all the way through with Utah only getting as close as -3. They had 68 point first half against a good defensive team.
Their Young wings (Culver, Edwards- shooting 13-19) outplayed Bogdanovic and DMitch, who shot 9-39. They ran Utah off the 3 pt line and forced them to drive agressively and make tough shots, which they didn’t do.
Even though Utah lost, I was impresssed. They play smart and very physically. You have to make tough shots up and down your team to beat them. Clarkson and Gobert had the strongest performances.
I love the new Utah city edition uniforms. Looks like early 80s Astros color bands, combined with black, not white.
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Re: NBA 2020-21: The Final Covid-19 Season?
I watched the fourth quarter of Houston v Portland and saw a very entertaining game that Portland won.
Neither team could stop the other and CJ and Harden were unstoppable. And Dame had a last minute layup that he scooped under and around Wood after he drove through two guys to get to the rim. One of the most skillful finishes I have seen in a while.
A great example of why I love good basketball.
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Re: NBA 2020-21: The Final Covid-19 Season?
One observation that's clear:
The entire league is suffering from not having had training camps.
Every team admits that you can't improve without practices and you can't get practices in during this kind of schedule they have. It may take until February or March before we start seeing some decent basketball.
Right now, every game is nothing better than streetball.
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Re: NBA 2020-21: The Final Covid-19 Season?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Bourgeois Zee
1. I'd argue Brooklyn, Toronto, Minnesota, Indiana, San Antonio, and Dallas are all equally as fun or moreso.
2. Nope. Not until he plays even a little defense.
3. Nope. Doncic is an All-Star MVP level guy. Trae Young scores a lot of points and passes okay.
1) Who would have lumped San Antonio into this conversation before the season began?
2) I'm in the who cares camp about defense affecting Young's watchability. And he'll be able to gamble for steals once Capella and Okongwu are healthy to provide rim protection.
3) Agreed. But this trade could eventually be argued to be a draw if, and only if, Cam Reddish develops into an all star. But given that most Dookies have failed to live up to their NBA potential, I wouldn't count on it.
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Re: NBA 2020-21: The Final Covid-19 Season?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Kingspoint
One observation that's clear:
The entire league is suffering from not having had training camps.
Every team admits that you can't improve without practices and you can't get practices in during this kind of schedule they have. It may take until February or March before we start seeing some decent basketball.
Right now, every game is nothing better than streetball.
Sam Mitchell made an interesting point on NBA TV about the lack of training camps affecting team defense. He stated that, even though it doesn't seem to make sense to the average fan, offenses are almost always considerably ahead of defenses once camp begins.
But given the pace of games has risen for many teams, especially teams with new coaches like Indiana, the lack of defense is vastly overstated at times.
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Re: NBA 2020-21: The Final Covid-19 Season?
The Mavs can't really be up 62-18 on the Clippers, can they?
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Re: NBA 2020-21: The Final Covid-19 Season?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Boston Red
The Mavs can't really be up 62-18 on the Clippers, can they?
Yah, they are. Weird to see a score that's generally reserved for playing NBA 2K against your five year old nephew after he opens his PS5 Christmas Morning.
Of course, I mean the "18" would be my score. Five year old kids are a nightmare with a controller in their hands...
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Re: NBA 2020-21: The Final Covid-19 Season?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Revering4Blue
Sam Mitchell made an interesting point on NBA TV about the lack of training camps affecting team defense. He stated that, even though it doesn't seem to make sense to the average fan, offenses are almost always considerably ahead of defenses once camp begins.
But given the pace of games has risen for many teams, especially teams with new coaches like Indiana, the lack of defense is vastly overstated at times.
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Just like the NFL's rule changes (along with free agency causing player movement), the NBA's rule changes create a faster pace, less physical play and more "scoring" highlights, I find the quality of play suffers greatly as each decade passes. The poetry of units mentally in sync, whether that's Defensively in the NBA, Offensively in the NFL (with the Offensive Line), cannot be replicated with anything other than practice and time together. It was bad enough when it was reduced to two to three years of playing together instead of five to eight years of playing together, but then it was reduced to one year in the NBA and two years in the NFL. Now it's not just a year or six months, but not even weeks. It's days, and it's really ugly to watch in both leagues. Streetball is more fun to watch and has more symmetry, while certainly having as many "scoring" highlights. It's truly identical to streetball...guys standing on the outside who play no Defense who yell "I'm open", and then flop when they miss a shot or scream that they got fouled (see the NBA's poster child in James IGotFouled! Harden).
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Quote:
Originally Posted by
Boston Red
The Mavs can't really be up 62-18 on the Clippers, can they?
This is what I'm talking about.
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Re: NBA 2020-21: The Final Covid-19 Season?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
adkindo
- Are the Hawks the most fun team to watch in the NBA?
- Is Trae Young the most fun player in the NBA to watch?
- Do we ever get to a point where we consider the Hawks the winner of the Doncic/Young trade?
Why can't both teams win out on the trade...Doncic to me is a generational talent however I think Young is going to be great in his own right...I give a slight edge to Luka at this point based on his overall game.
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Re: NBA 2020-21: The Final Covid-19 Season?
I hate the 3-point line. Worst rule ever made.
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Re: NBA 2020-21: The Final Covid-19 Season?
That just sucks for Towns. MIN fans deserve so much better.
They weren't going to make the playoffs this year anyway, so it does offer them a great opportunity to use those minutes developing support for KAT and then implement it during the 2nd Half.
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Re: NBA 2020-21: The Final Covid-19 Season?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Revering4Blue
Sam Mitchell made an interesting point on NBA TV about the lack of training camps affecting team defense. He stated that, even though it doesn't seem to make sense to the average fan, offenses are almost always considerably ahead of defenses once camp begins.
But given the pace of games has risen for many teams, especially teams with new coaches like Indiana, the lack of defense is vastly overstated at times.
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Yeah, I heard him say that as he was talking about Portland's additions will show their value during the 2nd half of the season. Following this same logic, the Lakers should be much better this year having had more time together in that system with the key players gaining experience together in it. It's one reason MIA is always good. DEF never changes for them there under Spoelstra. Same goes with BOS and you can say the same goes for UTA and GSW (except they need to stop exchanging bodies for one season).
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Re: NBA 2020-21: The Final Covid-19 Season?
CHA actually looks like an NBA team.
Is BKN the best in the East?
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Re: NBA 2020-21: The Final Covid-19 Season?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Kingspoint
Is BKN the best in the East?
Early returns look promising.
Their role players will have to be more aggressive in looking for their shots. Dinwiddie, Prince, Allen, and LeVert are going to have to score when Durant and Irving are double-teamed in the playoffs. Nash should probably limit the minutes he's giving to Landry Shamet. Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot showed in the bubble that he was plenty capable of big scoring nights, and he's big enough to play either wing. Seems like he should perhaps get those minutes while Shamet re-learns how to shoot.
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Re: NBA 2020-21: The Final Covid-19 Season?
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NBA 2020-21: The Final Covid-19 Season?
Magic come from being down 94-77 after 3 quarters to winning 120-113 with a 43-19 4th quarter.
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Re: NBA 2020-21: The Final Covid-19 Season?
If there's optimism in Sacramento, there's certainly just cause for it. They have never been 2-0 in any of the past 16 seasons.
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Re: NBA 2020-21: The Final Covid-19 Season?
Cleveland is just destroying Philadelphia (minus Embiid, whose back is troubling him). What's interesting is that the Cavs are going super big-- and succeeding. Might be a presage of things to come. Smart teams should probably pay attention to this.
On another note, Cleveland isn't yet where they ought to be, but Collin Sexton is proving that he's an elite scorer-- and his defense has actually been passable so far this year. (Drummond helps.) Darius Garland may have made a leap forward too.
(That's part of that whole second season dance with really young players. Culvert and Garland are two examples who may have turned into really quality guys. De'Andre Hunter, Keldon Johnson, and Talen Horton-Tucker are a few others.)
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Re: NBA 2020-21: The Final Covid-19 Season?
Is Jrue Holiday hurt? The Knicks two PG went 16-22 and a perfect 7-7 from three in the Knicks' blowout win of the Bucks.
Good Julius Randle showed up. (He does that one out of every three games.) 8-17, 3-5, 29 points, 14 rebounds, 7 assists. Played Giannis evenly.
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Re: NBA 2020-21: The Final Covid-19 Season?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
KoryMac5
Why can't both teams win out on the trade...Doncic to me is a generational talent however I think Young is going to be great in his own right...I give a slight edge to Luka at this point based on his overall game.
because they are unlikely to both win.....at the end of these guys careers, one is likely to be materially better than the other. My real point is that I like everyone else feels Doncic is the better player and will have more success in his career if healthy....but then I watch Young and the dude has skills that very few possess. His handle and vision are hyper elite....and we all know he can stroke it. Maybe we are all caught up a little too much in the narrative, and the comparison between the two is actually much closer that what is being advertised?
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Re: NBA 2020-21: The Final Covid-19 Season?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Rojo Rijo
Magic come from being down 94-77 after 3 quarters to winning 120-113 with a 43-19 4th quarter.
Not a Magic fan per se, but always want them to do well. Orlando is just better when the Magic are relevant as I assume is the case with most smaller NBA cities. It seems like they have started hot several times in recent years, then slipped back to the 7th or 8th place in the East position. Is that accurate that they often have started hot over the last 5ish years?
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Re: NBA 2020-21: The Final Covid-19 Season?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
adkindo
because they are unlikely to both win.....at the end of these guys careers, one is likely to be materially better than the other. My real point is that I like everyone else feels Doncic is the better player and will have more success in his career if healthy....but then I watch Young and the dude has skills that very few possess. His handle and vision are hyper elite....and we all know he can stroke it. Maybe we are all caught up a little too much in the narrative, and the comparison between the two is actually much closer that what is being advertised?
Trae Young has turned the ball over 4.2 times per game in his career. Last year, he averaged nearly five TO a game. Five.
Doncic turned the ball over almost one less per game (and was just as ball-dominant as Young). He also found a way to rebound five more caroms than did Young. He also played a modicum of defense. In every facet of the game but scoring from 30 feet, Doncic is either the equal or superior of Young. It's not really close either.
Trae Young is a borderline All-Star.
Luka Doncic is an MVP candidate.