Trae Young has perfected a move that successfully draws foul calls, but has also drawn the ire of many around the league.
Young has a move where he stops his dribble and jumps into an opponent behind him in order to draw a foul call.
Young was doing the move in his Atlanta Hawks’ 145-141 loss to Steve Nash’s Brooklyn Nets on Dec. 30.
Nash, who is in his first year as the Nets’ head coach, complained about the move, saying it was “not basketball.”
"That's not basketball" – Steve Nash
Trae Young was drawing cheap fouls and Steve Nash was tired of seeing it, not being able to do anything about it. Coach Nash had to have a word with this ref. Talk heavy coach. #WeGoHard – @Keith_McPherson pic.twitter.com/tMEbkSD6Ga
— Talkin’ Nets (@TalkinNets) December 31, 2020
Nash is correct in the sense that Young isn’t trying to score, but trying to draw a foul call. That intent probably should not be rewarded by the league, but the NBA does not have rules against it.
The Athletic published a story on Wednesday about Young’s move and included a quote from the emerging Hawks star about Nash’s criticism.
Young said that Nash probably wouldn’t be complaining if Young were on his team and helping them win. Young also modeled some of his game after Nash and believes the former Phoenix Suns two-time MVP guard used to use the move too.
“I learned a lot about drawing fouls from him. If he says it’s not basketball, he must’ve been saying it about himself because he’s done it a couple of times throughout his career and was so successful,” Young said.
Young is right on both accounts. Nash probably used the move, and Nash probably wouldn’t complain if Young were on his team.
Much like some of James Harden’s moves, or players jumping into defenders from the three-point line on shots, this is an example of a player taking advantage of the rules. None of these moves really fit with the spirit of basketball as Nash says, but the NBA is allowing them. That’s something they should probably rethink.
Nash isn’t the only one who has issues with the Hawks’s offense — even one of Young’s teammates does too.
