Trae Young was heckled by Boston Celtics fans as the Atlanta Hawks lost Game 2 just hours after being labelled the ‘most overrated’ NBA player by his peers.
On Tuesday, Young scored 24 points as his Hawks fell to the Celtics in a 119-106 defeat at TD Garden on Tuesday. The 24-year-old lined up for a free throw midway through the fourth quarter when the excited home crowd leathered him with an ‘overrated’ chant.
Naturally, Young hit the free throws - but the chant will hurt. According to The Athletic, the Hawks point guard was recently labelled the ‘most overrated’ player in the league by fellow NBA rivals in an anonymous poll.
The Athletic spoke to 108 players across each of the 30 NBA franchises during the final three weeks of the 2022/23 season. When asked who the most overrated player in the league is, Young received 14.8 percent of the vote to stand atop the pile ahead of New York Knicks star Julius Randle and Toronto Raptors forward Pascal Siakam (both 7.4 percent).
While some may find it surprising to see Young atop the rankings for most overrated player, he is the star of a Hawks team that has struggled over the last two years since he spectacularly led them to the 2021 Eastern Conference Finals. As a result, Young has become a polarising figure for fans and clearly players alike.
During the Hawks’ remarkable run in 2021, Young dominated. It was his first postseason appearance and the former Oklahoma star averaged 28.8 points per game alongside 9.8 assists as Atlanta knocked off the New York Knicks and Philadelphia 76ers.
The Hawks fell to the eventual NBA champion Milwaukee Bucks in six games, but it was a magical run for the franchise. Perhaps the most notable moment came in the series win against the Knicks, when he struck a game-winning shot in his playoff debut and shushed the crowd at Madison Square Garden.
However, Young has struggled in the playoffs since then. In the first round of the 2022 postseason, the Hawks lost in five games to the Miami Heat with Young averaging just 15 points.
Young has dropped 16 and 24 points against the Celtics so far, but he will need to step up his game if the Hawks are going to upset Jayson Tatum and co. The Celtics lead the series 2-0 after Tuesday’s win, and travel to Atlanta for Game 3 on Friday night.
