Report: Cavs hosted ‘secret workout’ for Trae Young on June 16

The Cleveland Cavaliers hosted a secret workout for Trae Young ahead of the 2018 NBA Draft.

According to ESPN’s Jonathan Givony, the Cleveland Cavaliers hosted a “secret workout“ for University of Oklahoma’s freshman point guard Trae Young on June 16th. Just days ahead of the 2018 NBA Draft.

Young, who was often the most sensational player in college basketball, averaged NCAA-highs of 27.4 points and 8.7 assists per game last season while shooting 42.2 percent from the field and 36.0 percent from three (10.3 three-point attempts per game).

He’s an elite shooter who has what you call “in the gym” range, able to knock down shots from a few feet past the three-point arc with ease, whether it be on a catch-and-shoot attempt or dribble pull-up. It’s this particular ability that’s led him to gain the attention that he has.

In a league that thrives on guard play and perimeter shooting, Young is the poster child for the next generation of great guards.

In fact, he’s often compared to two-time MVP Stephen Curry, nearly unanimously considered the greatest shooter of all-time, because of his average physical profile but elite shooting ability. Had Curry’s ascension started sooner, he could be considered the greatest point guard of his generation (a title that likely belongs to future Hall of Famer Chris Paul).

Young has that type of potential. It’s not often that a player has not just elite guard skills (shooting, ball-handling, court vision and passing) but transformative ones. He can step into the assassin role abandoned by former Cav Kyrie Irving and though Young’s offensive style has less midrange shooting and fewer crossover attempts, which are particularly useful in one-on-one battles, he’ll be a high-level scorer, especially given his range.

Running 1-3 pick-and-rolls with LeBron James could be deadly given the shooting range of Young and the physical prowess of James as he barrels towards the rim. Young reads defenders movements and eyes well while playing off of the attention he gets to find his teammates all the time.

With Young working on adding muscle prior to the draft, the concerns about his ability to finish inside are lessened. Young seems to have a strong preference of driving right and finishing with his dominant hand, which makes sense but a more ambidextrous approach to finishing would be preferential.

Young would also average 1.7 steals per game, using his quick hands to come up with steals on-ball. His added strength is a benefit on defense too, as he’ll have more success against bigger players (not necessarily big men) who try to post him up or strong guards who may try to bowl him over on their way to the rim.

His NCAA-high 5.2 turnovers per game are an eyesore. However, Young was facing an immense amount of defensive pressure every night. While these particular struggles with being the number one option could be reason for certain teams not to take him higher in the draft, regardless of his developmental arc, the Cavs aren’t one of those teams.

While James may not return, there are quite a few talented players who will be on the roster regardless. They’ll get some deserved attention and should alleviate some of the pressure.

If James does return, there’s simply no way that Young will be on the court and there will be more eyes on him than on James. That’s a factor that could open up the game for Young.

Should the Cleveland Cavaliers select Young in the draft, they’ll have their point guard of the future and a player who can be a great compliment to their current squad, should the main players return.

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*All stats gathered from www.sports-reference.com/cbb