So, rivalry might be a bit of a stretch. I mean, there’s not really any rivalry in the NBA right now because everyone seems to be friends; everyone played AAU together growing up, or they went to the same camps, or they went to college together. When I say rivalry, I mean more so the fact that both of these young players are SO good this early in their respective careers, and I think this can easily go on for more than a decade. Look no further than last night’s game to prove how good both of these players can be for years to come.
Trae Young: 36 points, 9 assists, 10/24 FG, 15-17 FT
Ja Morant: 28 points, 7 assists, 10/21 FG, 6/8 FT
Yes, they need to work on their shooting percentages. Yes, they are still going to make young player mistakes, but with Ja being last year’s Rookie of the Year, and Trae being the runner up a couple years ago, you have to know that they are going to continue to grow. On top of that both of their respective franchises are so young, and in turn, inexperienced enough to where they are going to allow their point guards of the future to make those mistakes, and learn from them. I believe that these two are some of the only players in the league that actually make their teammates better. They run harder down the floor, they cut harder, they set better screens, they get to their spots faster; everything becomes cleaner and easier for Ja and Trae to find the open person on the floor. When they aren’t on the floor, everything kind of goes back to status quo. With the right moves, and winning some games that they shouldn’t, I can see both Atlanta and Memphis making the playoffs. Will they make any noise? Maybe. Will they win a playoff series? Probably not. Hell, they might not even win a game in the series. I do think that these playoff appearances will mold and develop the players for the better, and a polished game for both of them is a very scary, and beautiful thought.
With Ja, he has this passion about him. Fire. He will dunk THROUGH you. This guy has been in the league for only a year and has a full career of poster dunks already. Not only is his around the rim finishing superb, he has a good jump shot on him too. Court vision to the max, decent rebounder for his size, knows how to play the passing lanes, the list goes on and on. Ja has this chip on his shoulder from being at a mid-major school, and then being the No. 2 pick, but honestly the only thing that he has to work on is his shot selection, and maximizing all of his other skills.
With Trae, his offensive game is really pleasing to the eye. I mean, who doesn’t love watching Damian Lillard and Steph Curry shooting the lights out from 30+ feet? It is fun to watch. Watching Trae Young, even at Oklahoma, was and is so fun to watch. Not to mention the fact that he plays the game like he’s trying to embarrass people, i.e. nutmegging the entire league. The other positives are very similar to Ja: court vision to the max, knows how to play passing lanes, not as great as a rebounder as Ja, but decent enough for the point guard position. Being more of a leader and maxing out his other skills are the only things separating him from being the next Steph Curry.
Competition breeds excellence. Apple wouldn’t be Apple without Samsung. Marvel wouldn’t be at the top without DC. Nike wouldn’t be the king of shoes without Reebok. Some of the past rivalries have played such a part in NBA history, and I think to some extent, drove the players to higher achievements. Magic vs. Bird. Russell vs. Chamberlain. Garnett vs. Duncan. LeBron vs. Carmelo Anthony for like 8 months before LeBron clearly took off and became the all-time great that he is. I think that Ja and Trae can have this friendly rivalry for their entire careers, and it will be a can’t-miss show every time they lace up. Let’s hope for their continued health, because watching them is an absolute treat, and I wouldn’t want anything to jeopardize that.
Round The Game 
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