In Trae Young’s first postseason experience two years ago, the point guard exploded onto the NBA scene, leading the Hawks to the Eastern Conference finals. However, Young has not been nearly as effective lately in the playoffs as he was in his first two series against the Knicks and 76ers.
On Saturday, in Game 1 of Atlanta’s first-round series against Boston, Young shot 5-of-18 from the field and 1-of-5 from three-point range for just 16 points. That means that in Young’s last seven playoff games, he has shot 8-for-49 from three, which just happens to be the fewest number of makes on that many attempts in any seven-game stretch in NBA playoff history.
Trae Young is 8/49 from 3 in his last 7 playoff games.
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) April 15, 2023
This is the most attempts with the fewest makes in a 7-game span in playoff history. pic.twitter.com/AHmefBiXbL
That seven-game stretch includes Saturday’s loss to the Celtics, five games against the Heat last year and Game 6 against the Bucks in the 2021 Eastern Conference finals. To be fair, in the final 2021 playoff game, Young was playing through an injury that had caused him to miss the previous two games.
Still, Young was healthy in his last six playoff games, but he ran into high-level defenses in the 2022 Heat and ’23 Celtics. Young has played in three play-in games over the past two years, but the NBA doesn’t count those games as regular-season or playoff games. In those three do-or-die games, Young shot 6–for-26 from downtown
In order to pull off another upset run, Young likely is going to need to find his rhythm from deep, just like he did two years ago.
