Trae Young Talks NBA Defense, Rivalries, and the 2021 Atlanta Hawks | Ep. 10

Trae Young Talks NBA Defense, Rivalries, and the 2021 Atlanta Hawks | Ep. 10

Welcome back to another episode of from the point by your favorite Point presented by Sprite winter spice cranberry and we also as you can see by the Mike got a new partner brand um that we Al like showing the show on um Bleacher Report um thank y’all um for

Obviously allowing us to be a part of the brand and uh appreciate y’all wanting to be a part of our brand so appreciate everybody all right you got my boy Winston again you good my brother what up guys um I’m all good man uh super exciting man we’re so thankful for Bleacher

Report this is uh this a super exciting partnership we’re we’re really excited to bring you guys some of the stuff we’ve been working on um but yeah we’re we’re we’re we’re ready to go we’re ready to dive into it um you know Trey I know I know it’s been a while since we

Recorded uh last episode dropped with Lou Williams but um congratulations bro uh on the birth of your second second child teal Dove data too now man what’s what’s it like having all them kids in a house all them kids it’s not it’s not crazy amount right now uh who knows how

Many I’ll eventually have but uh I mean it’s a blessing bro I mean having Titus was I mean an unreal blessing um but now having teal it’s it’s even another special blessing I mean I had a little sister so uh to see that kind of style um already be resembling is really cool

Um I have two obviously two little sisters so um but it’s cool I mean till is till is beautiful man man so so walk me through man I don’t have any kids but first week home with Titus or first week home with teal like who was who’s up

Crying more who’s who’s the more chill baby like it’s crazy because they’re both similar they’re like I don’t want to jinx myself but uh they’ve both been really good as far as sleeping been not crying as much maybe I just got super lucky with that um but no I haven’t had

Any headaches with my my kids so that’s good man and uh and Titus man he’s in the studio with us today super super excited man he’s uh he’s over there watching on his little iPad and everything but uh how about how about this in fact I think I think we got a

Clip of uh of Titus man he um he’s he’s getting into basketball man how how’s that yeah no it’s crazy uh he is he’s just uh he has his little B going in his house that he uh oh yeah that he he messes with and um I always bring my

Little basketballs around the house too uh he he tries to take it and and uh and run around and throw it to my dogs with it too so it it’s cool cuz he knows what a basketball is and what a hoop is but he he can’t do anything right now with

It but uh eventually I I know he will be so it’s really cool to see man fut future point guard man and the fist bumps are are hilarious man but oh yeah he’ll give anybody high five fist bump and will will not leave until he gives

Everyone a fist bump oh yeah no that’s that’s his mom teaching him that yeah for sure so um we can we can jump right into it man I think uh I think one of the most exciting things over the weekend was the um the n Season tournament um congratulations to the

Lakers but I think it’s been interesting to see the reactions that you guys have given as in players um overall around the league um their opinions about the inseason tournament Kevin Durant even said um the intensity of these games has been incredible I wasn’t a fan at first

But now I’m a huge fan of the n Season tournament what what are your thoughts on the inseason tournament what do you think now that’s now that it’s over with for this year um what were your overall thoughts I mean I think that it turned out great for the league I mean having

The the Lakers win it all is is always going to be great for the league I mean a lot of people watch the Lakers and support I mean that’s a big brand um so them winning the first first one is obviously great for the league and great

For the seon tournament I think it was great for the whole league I mean in general just from the competitive aspect I mean you can tell just a different intensity level just from those games to regular season games early on and uh so you can definitely feel the the

Difference and uh I think the the leag did a great job of like making it a different feel and different vibe I mean the courts were different um some were better than others but uh I think they they did a good job making a Cool vibe and making a lot people really

Interested in it yeah for sure speaking of Courts man um I saw Atlanta had that icy blue Court man that was that was so nice what were your thoughts on on the championship Court I know you didn’t get to play on that on that court but it it

Was cool I mean it was cool um cool to watch cool to see I mean I wish we we could have won on ours but um I mean it was cool to see like the different different themes I mean the the championship Court was clean um but just

There’s a lot of really cool courts I mean Minnesota had a really cool one uh a couple cool ones that I know we we played Detroit they had a cool one too speaking of players opinions on on things too I know uh originally like during media day and stuff they were

Showing showing guys the courts and there were some pretty funny clips man what were uh as a player what was it like I mean I don’t know had you ever played on like a like a purple court before or a blue court and like did that

Have anything to do with your game like did you feel like your depth perception was off like nah nah you don’t really it don’t really make no difference I mean it’s it’s it’s cool for the fan from the fan aspect but like once you get cuz

You’re on the court a little bit before warming up and stuff and once you can see where the lines are and you can kind of really tell anyway it’s cu the seats and the way the arena is set up so um but no it’s not really too much of a

Difference it’s it’s really more from the the visual from the fan aspect and um which makes it cool for the players too because you get cool jerseys and cool things like that to match it so uh I mean it Works hand in hand so in other

Words if if you can hoop you can hoop it it don’t matter yeah that’s basic but if you can’t hoop like it doesn’t doesn’t also doesn’t help you either yeah it don’t it don’t make no difference um so the uh it was interesting it was it was pretty public

That the Pacers actually had the lowest payroll in the league and then making to the finals um they they got incredible Financial incentives of like just just making it that way and talk about that I you can talk about whether it was the opinions in the Hawks locker room or

Just overall talking with your peers in the league but that was like that was real money that was on the line for the n Season tournament as in um you know some incentive to get you guys going and stuff what was uh what were your initial

Thoughts on that and how do you think those potentially changed um as the season kind of went on uh no I think I mean that was good I mean they added prize money for the for the uh the End season tournament like I think that was

Was what was going to really draw a lot of teams and making them fully Buy in um cuz it’s not just I mean cuz you you heard from from LeBron talk about it like I mean it’s not just about the the high guys who make a lot of money it’s

About really now you’re competing with your brothers even more now you got the bench maybe even more involved and can I mean engaged in the game and things like that because they know if they win they get they get to eat too so I think it

Really engages more of a team aspect too in that in that way so it can be a positive like that um I don’t I don’t see really any any cons when it comes to the prize money so I think that’s I mean really good for the league and what they

Did uh is 500 enough 500,000 or you think it needs to be more if you win nah I mean 500 500 is a lot of money it’s a lot of money yeah 500 is a lot of money so I mean you seen if I mean if if Braun can

Go out there and play play hard and do all that for 500 I mean what what other player can’t so uh that’s that’s kind of what it is absolutely so I know throughout there there was some debate whenever kind of the wild card and knockout stages were starting about

The point differential like there were there were a couple teams that were like in The Fringe you know kind of in the hunt for making it to the to The Knockout run and stuff what were your thoughts on the point differential and going into next year with there be any

Recommendations that you would have to potentially change that um to be honest I wasn’t super well versed on it like it was a little confusing to me I know there are some some leagues in Europe that kind of have the same thing when it comes to like champions league and stuff

Like that but um yeah talk talk to that thought thought process uh no I mean I think it’s part of it I mean it’s I don’t think it’s you should feel one way about it I mean the other I think it’s part of it like I I I know some guys get

Mad um me personally I wouldn’t have gotten mad I think it’s it’s part of it it’s part of the game like it’s a different criteria for a different circumstance like it’s not like a regular game and if you getting your head beat in like sometimes you got to

Take it I mean like you know what I’m saying like it’s I think that’s that’s just part of the game like um so I to be honest with you I’m not really mad about it I don’t really get offended um seeing it I mean if it was

Happening to us I think the Cavs were trying to do it to us I mean I didn’t feel I didn’t feel a certain way about it I think they were trying to get in and um we were already out and they were just trying to trying to get in so I

Don’t I don’t think it’s any disrespect I think it’s a different different circumstance and a different criteria what was was needed in certain certain games Trey I don’t know if you saw but there was this uh this clip that that was kind of going viral a little bit um

I came in in the green room and I told Kenny I said Kenny Trey is the real deal question you remind me of so tyres I mean Tyreek excuse me you remind me of Ernie it ain’t me it’s a damn cannabis behind me yeah no that’s hilarious bro shout

Out Shaq man shout out Shaq the the the Cannabis reference behind him for for a for a misspeak is is great that’s just that’s just that’s just part of it I mean he just you forgot I mean that ain’t no shade towards Tyrese he’s AER

At at all I I totally agree I think um I I I took that as a as a compliment to you to be honest is like you y’all both are balling at this point yeah I mean we we both ERS I mean just cuz he’s there and I’m not don’t mean people ain’t

Thinking about me now that the inseason tournament is kind of wrapped up um what were your overall thoughts I know we saw some some players emerge speaking of Tyrese had a hell of inseason tournament um it’s been playing really well this season but any surprises to you

Throughout the n Season tournament man I mean obviously there’s no there’s not like it’s like an NCA tournament type of a Vibe like it was really one I mean taking it one game at a time and I whoever gets hot can win it all and I

Mean the Pacers went on a hell of a run Tyrese was balling um scoring getting everybody involved I mean it was crazy to see uh buddy was killing for him Miles Turner uh they had a lot of guys who play well Aaron I mean Nest Smith uh

Play the way he played defense on on Giannis and uh even Braun and certain on certain moments those those last couple games was was crazy to see so I mean the Pacers obviously made made a name for themselves and and uh gave themselves a

Little bit of feel of what of um I mean a playoff environment would be like especially those games versus the Celtics and the the bucks um but really the Celtics so I think it was just a good good experience a lot of lot of teams can learn from things we can learn

From things and next year I’m sure Adam Silver will add some new things that’ll make it even more cool and uh it’ll get even better next year yeah pivoting to the Lakers like I said congratulations to them but how do you you think that expectations now that they’ve won the

East End season tournament have changed now that you know they’re we’re going into All-Star break soon uh and you know going into the playoffs do you think that winning that inseason tournament gives them a different type of pressure or um I mean maybe from the outside

Looking in I think I think anytime you play for the Lakers you going to have pressure on you uh just in general so I don’t think they necessarily feel that when you you win a an inseason tournament that I mean they G have more pressure on them I think they already

Feel that they have pressure on them every night they play and um that’s how you should feel if you play for that organization so um I don’t know how they feel um I know as a competitor playing against them I I think we still look at

Them like like they’re the Lakers and we just got to I mean when we play them we it’s like another game we got to we got to play in we know it’s a different environment in there and whenever they come there to your place it’s a different environment so um but there’s

Still the Lakers though yeah man speaking of speaking of the y’all’s place and all that I think it’s a great way to transition to the hawk season um we haven’t recorded since uh since you guys started so um overall man I know I know you guys are are just getting

Started but H how you feel about the season so far and what you guys are building and out there in Atlanta yeah I mean I feel like we we’ve got off to an okay start um it it was tough after really Jaylen went down um I don’t know

What I was whenever um before he went down but I know we’ve we haven’t really won too many games since he’s been out and uh he’s a big piece that we’re missing um we’re already uh I mean a kind of um young team not very experienced team um after a couple guys

But uh and Jaylen was playing like the most improved player for us and not only us but just killing the whole league every every night he played so having him out I mean kind of hurts us and in a couple ways and um but I think we’re

Still learning we still have a long season to go um we started off worse um I’ve been in in worse circumstances and and finished great so uh it’s really about just finding um a good streak of wins and finding a place where we can we can build off some wins

And and learn off some wins and also getting some guys healthy and getting them back and then I feel like we’ll be good yeah speaking of Jaylen Johnson I think he uh like you said definitely a candidate for most improved what have you been most surprised about with his

Progression from last year to this year and then what are you looking forward to him providing you guys’ you guys’ group and and ball club uh I mean there’s a there’s a lot I mean jaylen’s done different I mean but for me I think from what I see is his confidence and

Obviously your confidence always grows as you as you play more and you get more minutes and more experience and so he’s obviously getting a lot more of that this year and you’re seeing the confidence grow every game that he plays but just from shooting the ball um when

He gets the ball pushing it um he doesn’t make too many mistakes um and that’s something that’s really good uh so I just love playing with a guy that’s that’s smart um but he still has a lot of a lot of room to grow and he knows

That and he’s so um open died and wide ear that he he’s he’s willing to listen to people around him that that’s going to help him get better too so he definitely has has a bright future I know we’re early on in the season but with Jaylen Johnson A Healthy Hawks team

Where do you where do you think you guys pin out in the East this year uh I mean we we have a chance I mean the last two years has been been some crazy crazy runs in the in the East I mean teams going to the championship as eight seeds

And um it’s it’s all about just being hot at the right moment so like it’s hard to really judge where where we’ll be but I I feel like our potential we can beat anybody um if we’re fully healthy and we’re we’re at the right mindset and we’re clicking on all cylinders yeah yeah

Y’all can definitely beat beat anybody especially if you dropping people uh like you like you did in this clip oh yeah y’all y’all Bea anybody if y’all do that yeah yeah that was that was a crazy O’s reaction Oh’s reaction don’t want to look at it they got they got the win

DeAnthony got the last laugh that was definitely a a nice nice play for sure I uh I haven’t done anybody like that before dropping somebody like that what’s it like to drop somebody like that man bro it’s it’s just like a it’s like a I don’t know a feeling man

It’s like you know it’s like no I do not know don’t do that cuz that’s that’s not that’s not truthful at all it’s like um I don’t know it’s just a it’s just a feeling you have and it’s like an adrenaline Russian why why would you why

Would you why would you say you like you know that seemed like a no cuz I’m sure like you probably had like a little cousin or somebody you was messing around with and oh okay I thought you were you were implying that you dropped

Me before and I was about to say no I definitely have though you no what what clip exactly no I think I think we can we can find a clip every putting it on the record that Trey young has never NE v r drop

Me Dr you or are you in a clip no not in a clip neither okay wow not in the clip neither do you have it on your phone by any chance no okay I switch phones but I can find this clip though I’m glad I’m glad you made the shot though because um

I think I think this year in particular there’s been an offensive explosion around the league teams have become incredibly efficient in their offense there are four teams right now that are averaging higher than 120 points you guys the Atlanta Hawks Indiana Pacers Milwaukee Bucks and uh the

76ers um who do you think has there been uh has there been a certain person in the league that has kind of helped drive that offensive explosion this year um whether it be current guys or whether it be um guys who have just you know helped change the game just in general

Um and and why do you think that this year in particular the the offenseive round the league has not only been incredibly efficient but also scoring a lot a lot of points I mean it’s I think it’s a a lot of different cases I mean a lot of

Different reasons that I mean teams are scoring out a high clip I think first reason the the Warriors and what they’ve done since they the start of their Dynasty and they really had the best offense for a lot of years and won a lot of championships um and then you got like

Nowadays you got last year you got the Sacramento Kings I think breaking a record and having points per game um and just their offense and how Firepower they were uh and then like you just have a lot of young guards that come in just ready to play like ever since really my

Draft with me and Luca like ever since then it’s like guards coming out every year it’s like ready to to go from day one or um or or put put on the go from day one it’s like I mean guards are ready and then you got the

Pacers I mean their coach two of their coaches coached coach me and Luca I mean and our offenses have always been great so it’s like offenses in the game is I mean it’s perennial like you need to have really good offense but the best teams have both like the best teams have

Really good offenses and a really good defense and I think that’s what makes the difference between a great team and just an okay team yeah and what would you say to the critics that say that this offensive explosion in the NBA is due to a lack of defense and they just that’s

Just that’s just that’s lame that’s lame excuse I think that’s just because the the talent level is so crazy like the what guys are what guys are capable of doing and just the cerebral ability of some of these guys that also have talent and god-given length and and

I mean size on them like it’s it’s it’s tough to guard these guys when they’re smart I mean with the talent that they’re given so I think the the talent today is is also a reason why the offenses are so high and scoring so high

Yeah I agree I think that like you said lame I think lazy is probably another word in that I think I think that saying that the offensive explosion is due to lack of Defense actually isn’t G giving offensive schemes offensive players enough credit that they actually do I

Mean you’ve seen gold golden state for example if you just watch some of their possessions like they’ll track the way Steph runs around and he’s running you know couple hundred feet in a single possession like that’s all type of schemes and for sure and it’s and also

Like it’s hard to for for for a team like the Pacers or a team like us that are going to score5 130 points to keep a team to 105 or 10 six t night cuz then you’re beating team by 30 like it may be a we

May not be the number one defense so we may be 10 to 15 but that’s that’s better than being you know 25 to 30 you know what I’m saying so I think that’s that’s where it can get kind of L sided too because really good offens is you

Obviously have more possessions ex that you’re giving the other team too so they’re going to naturally score some yeah exactly um you know I think uh you’re a natural born score anyways and um I’d say you have a pretty uh deep bag deep deep bag of tricks when it comes to

Comes to scoring the ball man um I’ve uh I’ve witnessed it for a couple years now but um I actually have I actually have a few a few tweets um that we can go through um and this actually something new that we’re going to be starting on

On from the point um we we encourage all our audience m MERS to to send in some tweets comment on our YouTube channel um use use the BR app to send in some Tweets we’re actually going to be answering a few few questions each episode um but I have a couple here um

First up overall who’s the funniest player in the NBA funniest player in the NBA to me it’s yic to me is yic really why he’s hilarious like uh just some of the stuff like you see some of the stuff he does in his like in his post game in his

Interviews or whatever like just being like like in games with him interacting little moments and Allstar behind the see little moments it’s like he’s so he’s he’s funny can you imitate one of his uh his reactions you can’t you can’t imitate it I remember being in charet

One year I think he did we did the skills skills challenge together and we were just in the the back and and he was just making everybody laugh like it was he’s just hilarious he he is hilarious though his uh his game is great but man

That that dud is a comedian for sure folks say you still don’t play defense though uh somebody actually wrote in and said um folks still saying Trey young doesn’t play defense uh right here you can see uh you actually have a game saving charge yeah to to win the Spurs

Game yeah what’s your thoughts on uh not playing defense I mean this I mean you can’t say that this year it’s been my best year playing uh defense I mean I mean that’s that’s I mean just a fact um you can hate all you want I mean that’s

That’s just what it is I’ve I mean taking charges uh being there for my teammates obviously we can we can all be better I can be better on that end still we haven’t won enough games for me to say I’m uh first team or anything but definitely getting better uh but

Definitely definitely been a thing on my mind and what do you think moving forward has allowed you to not only continue to get better at defense but as you guys go throughout the season not only for you to continue to be solid defensively but your entire team to

Continue to improve I think my coach helps me a lot in just putting me in spots and places and just telling me where to be before um I’m putting spots where I can’t really help myself I mean I’m already at like a a disadvantage um

In a lot of ways so just being knowing where to be early before the the offense gets their is important too so my coach helps me a lot with that for sure um as of today uh what’s the biggest NBA rivalry in the NBA today what’s the biggest NBA rivalry

Um you go first because I have my own take on this okay you go first because I I’ll need a second I would say based off of last year it’s probably not the biggest but I think it’s one of the most exciting rivalries is King’s Warriors I think it

Would be I think it would be great to see another playoff series like that um I think at every position on the court they have a great matchup at all times so I think that uh I think the Kings Warriors is a is a is

A good one I think there are some more King Warriors I think um yeah that’s that’s a good one I mean Fox and yeah that’s good Kings Warriors man I I don’t really you don’t see really teams hating each other like that I mean you see Steph and that that Warriors and

Kings being that but I don’t know I don’t know either that or ain’t no really rivalry no more why do you think it’s not like it used to be in terms of like rivalries it’s because these refs don’t let nobody show emotion and as far as just like you can’t say nothing to

Nobody as far it’s not even it ain’t even got to be egregious or nothing it’s it can be dunking on somebody and just giving them a look like it’s a tech like that is the craziest thing to me like just from growing up watching guys you guys used

To be able to dunk and yell like it’s different it’s different like that’s how you build rivalries when you talking you getting scored on and you like going back and forth and then it’s different if guys’s getting face to face then you can call a tech and break

Them up but guys’s just talking like even my first couple years in the league it was different than how it is now like it’s just it’s it’s crazy I think the rest don’t allow it us to have really NBA robberies anymore for real that’s fair I think that’s a that’s a fair take

Yeah um who do you think is the most explosive athlete in NBA history oh most explosive athlete in NBA history uh there’s a lot um dang most explosive I mean the first one that comes to mind is Russ I mean just from what I mean explosive like just off the off the Run

Dribble like off one off two D Rose could jump off two I didn’t necessarily see him jump off one all the time but D Rose they come to mind like I don’t know them two probably probably Russ I remember being at Oklahoma City games when we were growing

Up together and man Russ would get going on the break man and it was oh it was over with you it was over with it was over with yeah I think uh like you said D Rose uh throw LeBron in there Vince Carter Vince VC VC was explosive VC those those are a

Couple I’ve remember seeing VC in practice he’s 40 years old like windmilling bro windmill like it was the lightest windmill I’ve ever seen like I thought he was ridiculous so maybe him too but Russ as far as what I was seeing Vision Trey what’s your opinion on what

If Trey young never got hurt in game three of the 2021 Eastern Conference Finals man that’s a great question what if I mean to be honest with you I ain’t going going to lie yeah you got we definitely would have we would have won our first CHP that year for

Sure I don’t even want to talk about it because it’s so hard to get back to that moment it’s like you just you just fight that feeling that you you had your chance but I know we going to have another one um so yeah that’s been my biggest goal is

Just to give bring Atlanta their first their first ring so that’s going to happen again but again getting hurt was not the best feeling cuz I definitely felt like we had a chance and we were on a run and we were feeling good um guys were guys were going

And that that [ __ ] happened and people don’t understand uh how difficult it is to to make it that far on the playoffs how how difficult is it actually to make it that far on the playoffs just think about it like we had to we had to play we were the fif seed

So we had to play the fourth seed on the road to start it out went five games second round we played Philly who was the number one seed at the time we had to go to their place first and that ended up going seven games so we won at their place at

Seven and then just to that’s just to get to the Conference Finals like and then now we playing the Bucks who were I think the second seat at the time and we ended up going six and just fell short but that just knows how hard it is you

Give respect to the guys who who do it over and over again or um just get there and uh so yeah you don’t necessarily throw shade at the guys who necessarily can’t and because there’s a lot of guys who are still playing who are I mean get

A lot of love and a lot of Praise who don’t necessarily get to even the Conference Finals so um you don’t necessarily throw shade on them when they don’t as a player who’s been there um I’m not speaking for the general fans but just as a player who’s been there

You don’t necessar throw shade on those guys because you understand how hard it is but uh it definitely sucks cuz I definitely feel we had a chance for sure man first episode in the books with Bleacher Report man how you feel man feel feel amazing um feel great I think I think

That wraps us up man well first episode Bleacher Report another episode of from the point by your favorite Point till next time we’ll see yall make you can you’re going to be able to find from the point on Bleacher Report all season long make

Sure you tune in on the BR app and uh yeah peace peace

On the first episode of “From the Point by Trae Young” recorded in partnership with Bleacher Report, Trae and Winston discuss the LA Lakers, Indiana Pacers, and the NBA’s first-ever In-Season Tournament. Trae also gets real about the Atlanta Hawks’ start to the season, what would have happened if he didn’t get injured in the 2021 Eastern Conference Finals, and answers Twitter/X questions from fans.

Recorded: December 2023

“From the Point by Trae Young”:
Subscribe on YouTube: @TraeYoung
Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fromthepointpodcast/
Become a Fan on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@fromthepointpodcast

00:00 – Intro
00:55 – Discussing birth of Trae’s daughter
3:09 – Recapping NBA In-Season Tournament
4:34 – Thoughts on IST courts
6:08 – IST payouts
9:41 – Shaq mixing up Trae and Tyrese Haliburton
10:40 – Biggest surprises from IST
11:55 – Expectations for Lakers after winning IST
13:14 – Why Hawks can beat anyone
14:30 – Jalen Johnson’s breakout season
17:49 – Explaining offensive explosion in NBA this year
20:02 – Is there ‘lack of defense’ in the NBA?
22:43 – Why Jokic is funniest player in the league
23:40 – Responding to tweet that he ‘doesn’t play defense’
25:10 – Biggest rivalry in NBA?
26:18 – Why there aren’t great rivalries anymore
27:28 – Most explosive athlete in NBA history?
28:40 – Why Hawks could’ve won title in 2021
31:18 – Outro

#fromthepointbytraeyoung #fromthepoint #traeyoung #podcast #nba #pacers #lakers #atlantahawks