WASHINGTON — It was almost 21 minutes into Thursday evening’s contest when Trae Young unveiled his memorable D.C. arrival, in a truly striking display.
After receiving a pass beyond the 3-point arc and executing a pump-fake that sent his defender airborne past him, Young penetrated towards the hoop. He then feigned a behind-the-back assist to guard Leaky Black in the left corner with his right hand, before seamlessly shifting to his left hand to net a challenging scoop layup.
The audience at Capital One Arena erupted in cheers.
It held little significance that the Washington Wizards trailed by 15 points following that score, or that Young, in his inaugural game since his trade to Washington in January, faced a 20-minute time cap. Similarly, it was of minor consequence that Young began sluggishly, sinking only one of his five 3-point attempts throughout the entire game, concluding with 12 points and six assists in the Wizards’ 122-112 defeat to the Utah Jazz.
During his constrained time on the court, the 27-year-old Young demonstrated he possesses the kind of talent the Wizards have lacked since the initial, robust period of John Wall’s career. He exhibited the fluidity and playmaking prowess that established him as one of the league’s most thrilling athletes during his more than seven seasons with the Atlanta Hawks. Young captivated the spectators with his mesmerizing dribbling, no-look distributions, and long-range 3-point attempts.
Young likened Thursday’s match to his first appearance with the Hawks against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden eight years prior, recollecting sleeplessness the night before. He stated his sole objective on Thursday was to shed the inertia from not having played since December 27 and regain game readiness.
Young generated offensive opportunities for himself – whether from a pick-and-roll or a stepback – but misfired on open 3s that he typically would have converted previously.
“I believe my performance was decent,” Young commented after the game. “My shots were on target. I simply lacked any power in my legs.”
In his initial minutes of action, Young operated more as a facilitator than an aggressive scorer seeking his own shot. Towards the end of the second quarter, Young was left wide open for a 3-pointer after an Anthony Gill screen; however, instead of launching the shot, Young instead located guard Tre Johnson in the left corner for an uncontested 3-pointer.
“Trae is an incredibly willing passer,” forward Julian Reese noted. “To be such a significant offensive threat and simultaneously a generous passer is rare. There aren’t many guards like that in this league.”
In what could have been the game’s standout play, Young fired a precise pass to Bilal Coulibaly, who was sprinting along the right side of the court on a fast break. Yet, head coach Brian Keefe had signaled a timeout just as the ball departed Young’s hands.
“He caught me off guard. He tossed that too quickly,” Keefe remarked. “That ball left his hands precisely when I called it. I thought, ‘oh, man,’ but such things occur.”
While Young appeared to be his usual self on several sequences, it was evident this marked his first game in over two months and his initial outing with his new Wizards teammates.
Reese, who signed a two-way contract last week, fumbled a few of Young’s entry passes originating from pick-and-rolls, which have been Young’s signature play throughout his career. During a fast break in the second quarter, Young found Johnson wide open in the right corner, but Johnson missed. Young attempted a behind-the-back pass to Coulibaly earlier in the game that sailed into the first rows of the spectator stands.
“I’m becoming acquainted with these guys, and they’re also learning about me,” Young stated. “I anticipate there will be instances where they have some ‘oh s—‘ moments, like when I’m wide open and they receive the ball unexpectedly.”
Trailing 67-49 at halftime, the Wizards seemingly rectified some of their missed shots and errors in the second half.
In the third quarter, Young executed a backward pass to a trailing Johnson for a 3-pointer, and a few plays later, he nutmegged a pass through the legs of Blake Hinson into the waiting hands of forward Anthony Gill, who converted a contested shot. On a fast break late in the quarter, Young located Bub Carrington in the left corner for an open 3-pointer that narrowed the score to 87-77.
Young, who played 19 minutes across three quarters, remained on the bench for the entire fourth quarter.
While the Wizards are likely to refine their offensive execution within a few games, the defensive aspect presents a different challenge. Young, standing at 6-foot-2, has consistently struggled on the defensive end; he was targeted on Utah’s initial possession and was repeatedly drawn into pick-and-rolls and multiple layers of ball screens to facilitate open shots for the opposition.
Overall, the Wizards exhibited poor transition and 3-point defense. They offered minimal rim protection, and their perimeter defense frequently led to numerous wide-open looks for Jazz shooters, who sank 15 3-pointers.
“We struggled to contain the dribble tonight. I believe that was the primary issue, dribble penetration, reaching the basket,” Keefe explained. “I thought our scoring was acceptable. It was simply the penetration, [Isaiah] Collier and some of those players driving downhill. We didn’t defend effectively off the initial drive, and our defensive shell wasn’t compact.”
Young has endeared himself to Washington supporters and his teammates since his arrival in the city. Since being acquired in January, he has worn the jerseys of prominent athletes who have competed in the nation’s capital over the years, including Wall, Georgetown’s Allen Iverson, and the Washington Capitals’ Alex Ovechkin.
During the team’s game against the Houston Rockets on March 2, Young was ejected from the bench after stepping onto the court to dispute with a referee amidst a skirmish between Washington guard Jamir Watkins and Rockets forward Tari Eason.
“I knew I wouldn’t be thrown out tonight while I was playing,” he commented.
This marked only Young’s 11th game of the current season, after injuries to his right MCL and quad limited him to just 10 games in what became his final season with the Hawks.
Following his first game with Washington, which coincided with the Wizards’ seventh consecutive loss and dropped their record to 16-46, Young is already focused on guiding his new team to greater achievements.
“I haven’t secured a championship or reached the finals, but I’ve come within two games of it,” Young stated. “So I understand what is required to get there. For me, it’s about striving to advance further here. I know that can’t be achieved instantaneously.
“That’s why I appreciate it here currently. That’s what we are emphasizing: the daily routines and ensuring personal improvement each and every day, whether in the gymnasium or not, one can progress, be it physically or mentally. These consistent habits are expected to lead us to long-term prosperity.”