Young wants to pull on a U.S. National Team jersey.
바카라사이트Atlanta Hawks forward Trae Young appeared on Gilbert Arenas’ podcast on Friday to talk about making the U.S. National Team.
Young, the fifth overall pick in the 2018 draft, is one of the best offensive point guards in the entire NBA. Alongside the likes of Steph Curry and Damian Lillard, he is one of the league’s most dangerous deep-three shooters, and his ability to draw free throws is second to none.
Young’s ability to create for his teammates is also impressive, as he averaged 26.2 points and 10.2 assists in 2022-2023, his fifth season, and reached the 20-10 mark for the first time in his career. Through five seasons, Young has been named to two All-Star teams and one All-NBA team.
Despite the guard’s promising future, it’s rare to see Young on the U.S. National Team. As an athlete, it’s a source of immense pride to pull on the jersey of the United States National Team, the undisputed best in the world.
But following the Tokyo Olympics, Young’s name is nowhere to be found on Team USA’s roster for the 2023 FIBA World Cup, which is a shame, especially since the World Cup roster is built around younger resources in their early to mid-20s rather than the best of the best.
While his offense and playmaking are very good, it’s his defense that seems to be holding him back. At 185 cm, Young’s defense is one of the most criticized in the NBA.
Young, who had previously expressed a strong desire to make the national team, has publicly expressed his disappointment. He emphasized that it was his dream to play in a USA jersey.
“I definitely want to play for Team USA, I’ve talked about it so many times. It’s up to them whether they want me or not. I want to play with other players and show off my passing, and I don’t need to score a lot of goals, I just want to help the team when they need me, so if I can do that, I’ll definitely be happy and I’d love to play there.”
With the World Cup virtually out of the question, Young’s next opportunity to earn a spot on the national team will likely come at the 2024 Olympics in Paris. Will Young make it to Paris in a USMNT uniform?