Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young is in the midst of his seventh NBA season, but the 26-year-old has compiled an impressive profile. Young led the Hawks to an Eastern Conference Finals appearance, and he is also at or near the top of multiple all-time lists for the franchise. In fact, Young is already the franchise record holder in assists and three-point field goals, with more records well within reach in the next few seasons.
In this space, we will touch on some of the best games Young's career to date, including notable milestones and each of his career highs in scoring and assists, both in the regular season and in the playoffs.
Trae Young's rookie breakout
Young finished second to Luka Doncic in NBA Rookie of the Year voting in 2018-19. He started 81 games for the Hawks, averaging 19.1 points and 8.1 assists and, while there were some natural efficiency issues for a 20-year-old rookie, Young had multiple explosions that showed his potential.
The best example was a game against the Chicago Bulls on March 1, 2019. Young set a new career high (to date) with 49 points on 17-33 from the field and 6-13 from three-point range. He also had 16 assists, the second-most by Young during his rookie campaign.
Trae Young's first 50-Burger
Weeks before the NBA, and the world, shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Young set a new career high in scoring and produced his first 50-point output. On Feb. 20, 2020, Young erupted for 50 points, including eight three-pointers and a sparkling 18-19 from the free throw line, in a win over the Miami Heat. He did it in only 39 minutes, adding eight assists and two steals for good measure.
Young's playoff career high in assists
Young announced his postseason presence with authority in 2021, averaging 29.2 points and 9.8 assists per game in a five-game series win over the New York Knicks. That performance launched a career-long beef between Young and Knicks fans, but his best was still to come in that playoff run.
On June 14, 2021, Young generated a playoff career high 18 asissts in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Philadelphia 76ers. That led Atlanta to a crucial victory to even the series at 2-2, and Young then scored 39 points in a road upset in Game 5. All told, he averaged 29.0 points and 10.9 assists in the seven-game battle over the top-seeded Sixers, sending the Hawks to the ECF.
Young's playoff career high in scoring
June 23, 2021 was a memorable date for Young. He generated a playoff career high 48 points in Game 1 of the 2021 Eastern Conference Finals, leading the Hawks to a road upset over the Milwaukee Bucks.
Young shot 17-34 from the field in the game, adding 11 assists, and Young also had another 35-point game in the series. Unfortunately, he suffered an ankle injury that sidelined him for two of the six games, as the Hawks lost 4-2 to the Bucks.
Young's regular season career high in scoring
To date, Young has only two 50-point games, but his biggest scoring output came on Jan. 3, 2022. Young was absolutely unconscious in a road game against the Portland Trail Blazers, scoring 56 points on 17-26 from the field, 7-12 from three-point range, and 15-15 at the free throw line. He also added 14 assists and was +10 in his 37 minutes on the court.
Young's regular season career high in assists
On the day before Thanksgiving (Nov. 27) in 2024, the Hawks visited the Cleveland Cavaliers. Cleveland owned the best record in the NBA at 17-1, but Atlanta pulled off an impressive upset, winning by 11 points. Young didn't have the best shooting night, scoring 20 points on 20 shooting possessions, but he dished out a career high 22 assists in the game. It was the first of three 20-assist games in 2024-25, with room for that number to grow.
The first 30-point, 20-assist game
Less than two weeks after setting a new career high 22 assists, Young reached another benchmark with his first career 30-point, 20-assist game. He produced 31 points and 20 assists in an impressive victory over LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers.
For good measure, Young also connected on the game-winning jumper in overtime, part of a tremendous overall showing.