2. Trae Young, Atlanta Hawks
The second of the young and rising superstar guards in the NBA that were selected in the 2018 draft is “Ice Trae). The Hawks are pretty much solely building around this former Oklahoma Sooner that was a gem find in the lottery of the 2018 NBA Draft. He’s a special talent that is very fun to watch on the offensive end, something that MJ could claim back in the day too.
The raw playmaking and tough shot making ability that Trae brings to the table are two of the biggest similarities compared to what Jordan used to do with the ball in his hands. Trae is a good three-point shooter (better than 36.0 percent from downtown this season), that is much more proficient it seems on a consistent basis than Jordan.
But there were some seasons during MJ’s peak when he averaged a similar number of points and assists to that of Young. Overall MJ was a more efficient scorer (averaged around two less turnovers per game than Trae in the regular season), but the young Hawks point guard has lethal range that the Bulls great never really had.
In the season that ended early for the Hawks, Young did breakthrough by averaging 29.6 points per game, 4.3 rebounds, 9.3 assists, and 1.1 steals. He shot 43.7 percent from the field, 36.1 percent from beyond the arc, and 86.0 percent from the free-throw line. He also registered a 6.3 offensive box plus/minus rating and 5.4 offensive win shares this season.