"There's a lot of Russell Westbrook operating" - Skip Bayless on why Trae Young isn't fit to be a Laker
Following their loss on Wednesday night, the Atlanta Hawks' aspirations of reaching the playoffs for the fourth consecutive year came to a crashing halt. With speculations swirling around Trae Young's future with the franchise, linking him to several potential destinations, including the LA Lakers. Skip Bayless weighed in on the matter during the latest episode of Undisputed, using Russell Westbrook's name to illustrate why the 3-time All-Star is not an ideal fit for the Purple and Gold.
"What was the biggest mistake LeBron ever made? (It) was Russell Westbrook. There's a lot of Russell Westbrook operating in Trae Young. He's been six years in this league now, he has led the NBA in total turnovers over those six years by far. He's had 100 more than Luka had over the last six years that he has been in this league. That's a lot of turnovers," Bayless said. "He's a very good passer but he is a flashy passer…. He'll try passes that are just crazy."
Bayless criticizes Young's performances when it matters the most
In the most crucial game of the season against the Chicago Bulls, most recently, the Hawks heavily depended on Trae to take charge and lead the charge. However, the 6'3" point guard succumbed under pressure, dropping 22 points on 4-of-12 shooting from the field and committing 6 of the team's 9 turnovers. Bayless noted that Young's lackluster performance seemingly irked Dejounte Murray, who was left with all to do.
Not content with that observation alone, the 72-year-old analyst also emphasized that while Trae has had some memorable moments silencing crowds on the road during the playoffs, his impact may not be as significant as perceived.
Though it's challenging to side with Bayless on most occasions, he may have a valid point here. In 27 playoff games, the Texas native has averaged 26.4 points, yet his shooting percentage is different - 29.7% from the 3-point line and 40.2% from the field.
Johnson believes Trae is a franchise player
In line with Bayless' viewpoint, co-host Keyshawn Johnson admitted that Trae indeed has defensive weaknesses but emphasized that in a potential Lakers scenario, Young would only be the third-best player role behind Anthony Davis and LeBron James. This, Johnson argued, could substantially enhance the Lakers' chances of winning a championship.
"We sit up here and act like that we got guards that can actually defend. Do we, Skip?" Johnson asked. "But he got some stuff that works in LA… he's kinda like a little version of Steph Curry to a degree… I like him, man."
Given Trae's offensive capabilities, teams might be eager to go to great lengths to acquire him this summer. However, for a team like the star-studded Lakers to pursue such a star, it all depends on their performance in the 2024 playoffs.
