3. Finishing Top 3 in Rookie of the Year Voting

It took a few games for Young to get comfortable in Summer League, struggling in Utah before bursting onto the scene in Vegas. That’s probably how his regular season will play out. Expect a slow start and a strong finish, with him emerging as the Hawks’ offensive hub by the season’s end.

The defensive side of the ball will always be a concern with Young, but the Hawks are going to put him in a position to succeed on offense. Lloyd Pierce is the first official member of the Brett Brown coaching tree, meaning pace and space will be a focal point of his system. That’s especially true if the Hawks plan on mimicking the Warriors.

Young will thrive in that setup. He’ll be able to work both on and off the ball, picking teams apart in the pick-and-roll and curling around screens with regularity. Aside from Doncic, Young in the most dynamic playmaker from the 2018 draft, bending defenses to their breaking point with his shooting touch and elite court vision.

With a roster populated by shooters and rim-runners (hello, John Collins), the Hawks will be able to play to Young’s strengths from the very beginning. Once he finds some rhythm and gets comfortable with the speed of NBA basketball, expect some explosive outings on the offensive end.

As the focal point of a bad team with serious entertainment value, it’s easy to imagine Young sliding into the Rookie of the Year conversation. He’ll have the scoring and assist numbers, all while presenting the flash needed to grab the attention of more casual voters.

Doncic remains my heavy favorite for the award, but Young should very much be in the conversation. The storylines surrounding the Hawks-Mavs trade could get really, really interesting.