yahoo - 1/6/2026 4:35:21 AM - GMT (+2 )
In sports, there is a collective mission for franchises, whether they’re in the hunt for a championship or starting over.
That mission is acquiring, however possible, a genuine superstar.
In basketball, where only five players occupy the floor per team at one time, the superstar has an oversized effect in the context of winning a championship.
However, in the process of identifying that player, teams end up kissing a lot of frogs. Some of those frogs turn out fine, stars in their own right but never quite cracking that barrier to turn into princes or basketball kings.
With Trae Young and the Hawks now reportedly working on a trade destination for the four-time All-Star, it’s a stark reminder of the fragility of talent, fit, contract status and roster construction in the NBA. Young helped the Hawks to the Eastern Conference finals in 2021 and the future looked bright. Now it appears it’s time for a change.
With that in mind, let's explore Young and a pair of talented players who might struggle to become superstars, and what needs to change for them to switch the narrative.
All right, so here's a guy who can space the floor, score at a high rate and is genuinely an elite playmaker. Surely, Young is a superstar through whom you can run everything and win a title, right?
Well, it's tricky.
Young can shoot and defenses are tuned into his ability, but he's never been efficient enough to be worth the plethora of long-range shots he does take (35.1% career 3-point shooter), nor is he a good enough off-ball shooter to act as a decoy.
Young is, in many ways, a heliocentric player, who at 6-foot-1 can't consistently see over the defense and is so compromised defensively, the Hawks have to make continuous adjustments to hide him.
But all right, surely that's not enough to prevent him from entering superstar category?
Yes and no.
When Young is on, and he strikes that perfect balance between shot-taking, playmaking and making timely decisions, he comes close.
However, at his size he has to overcome so many hurdles. Unlike Jalen Brunson, a sturdier point guard of similar height, Young is slight and bounces off defenders easier. While that gets him to the free-throw line, it doesn't allow him to take bumps and pull up in the midrange area when the need arises.
Essentially, Young is the ultimate finesse point guard who lacks physicality and has to consistently think his way out of trouble, as opposed to having the ability to barrel through it.
That said, the fact that Young isn't your prototypical off-ball shooter doesn't help. He's best with the ball in his hands — to a fault. For others to shine, which there is a need for, Young does have to relinquish some responsibility and embrace areas of the game he's been otherwise weak in.
The good news is Young should be able to correct his tendencies without going through years of adjustments.
If he's traded from Atlanta and lands with a team that understands how to tap into his off-ball potential — which is present — there's a decent chance we could see a player who gets closer to becoming a real superstar.
Paolo Banchero, Orlando MagicIn the NBA world, DeMar DeRozan has never been viewed as a franchise superstar. He takes too many inefficient shots, he milks the shot clock, is a good but not great playmaker, and he generally lacks the off-ball chops to weave his playing style into the larger fabric of an NBA offense.
Through that perspective, why should Banchero be viewed any differently than DeRozan?
Banchero's a career 44.6% shot-maker. That would be formidable if that had been his 3-point percentage, but that’s his overall efficiency.
His two-point conversion rate of 49.2% is far below what a 6-10, 250-pound agile big man, with athleticism and touch, should be able to produce.
Twenty-seven percent of his shot attempts are from inside the arc between 10 feet and the 3-point line. He doesn't bend defenses with his off-ball capabilities, and opposing defenses are frankly fine with Banchero leaning into midrange shots, as they know his efficiency — or lack thereof — won't punish them.
So what can Banchero do to turn the corner?
Outside of adding a far more reliable 3-point shot (31.4% career shooter), Banchero needs to significantly increase his at-rim volume. Only 22.9% of his attempts are from three feet and in, which seems like a bit of a problem when you're that good at twisting and turning your body off dribble moves.
If Banchero leans into a more calculated shot diet, his entire career changes.
The presence of a reliable 3-point shot would allow Banchero to move more effortlessly off the ball and keep defenses moving by dragging a defender with him. That opens up driving lanes for teammates and drastically improves the offense by providing more layers for players to utilize.
(Finally, it also wouldn't hurt him to become a better rebounder, all things considered. At his size, with his athleticism and raw strength, he shouldn't be in his fourth season of not averaging double-figures.)
Zion Williamson, New Orleans PelicansWe don't have to go as deep into Williamson, as Banchero’s case laid out the foundation for a lot of the weaknesses we find in quality players who aren’t superstars.
Williamson is an even worse 3-point shooter than Banchero and also is just a good, but not great, playmaker.
So let's focus on that element.
If a player is a high-level scorer who consistently draws double-teams and is the key name on the scouting report, it's crucial to have the ability to leverage that scoring as a means of passing the ball.
Williamson's issue of not being a floor-spacer hurts him a great deal in the playmaking department. Defenders are very aware he's not a threat from beyond 15 feet, so they're giving him that shot while understanding they have to play him for the drive and not the shot.
Of Williamson's career shot attempts, 94.1% have been within 10 feet of the basket. Teams are thoroughly aware of this, meaning no one really pays attention to any action Williamson involves himself in — unless said action is close to the rim. If he gives the ball up 20 feet away from the basket, expect a cut and a forthcoming give-and-go attempt.
Like Banchero, Williamson doesn't bend defenses, considering how much he's on the ball and how little he actually shoots, and that makes him both predictable and fairly easy to plan for.
Imagine Williamson as the primary initiator in a Finals series, where every possible adjustment has been made.
Is he consistently capable of getting into the paint and converting at a 70% clip? Probably not.
Is he consistently capable of making the right pass after he's broken the first line of defense? Again, probably not.
Then add in the fact that his defense is only occasionally fine and his rebounding is historically poor, and what are you then left with?
A star, sure, but one who can lead you to the promised land? Highly doubtful. If anything, Williamson is intriguing as a play finisher you put around a genuine playmaking superstar, and that's more or less the only setting in which he makes sense.
While there isn't a straightforward answer to what makes a championship-winning superstar, we can make certain educated guesses based on the players we've covered.
A general lack of floor-spacing is highly problematic. It sounds simplistic, but it's anything but. Star players demanding attention from everywhere on the floor is utterly crucial, unless they're so ridiculously overpowering in every other aspect of the game (see: Antetokounmpo, Giannis).
Being just a good playmaker is a problem unless your primary skill, such as scoring, is so elite from both a volume and efficiency standpoint, that it simply isn't necessary, and you have multiple other strengths within the game, such as rebounding and being able to defend at a high level (see: Tatum, Jayson).
All of the above should also have multiple teams raising long-term questions about what type of player Duke star Cameron Boozer will be.
The freshman forward who is projected to go top three in the 2026 NBA Draft puts up explosive box scores every game, averaging 23 points, 9.8 rebounds and 4.2 assists, but will his playmaking translate to the NBA to become a primary superstar?
What about his defense? Is that good enough at the NBA level to negate what could be average 3-point efficiency, a so-so passing instinct and good — but not great — rebounding?
Boozer, at 6-9, 250, is good and will unquestionably be a rock-solid NBA player, but the archetype of player he is reminds of Banchero, and to some extent Williamson.
Can he add layers to his game and become a player you can go to and eventually win a title through him? Time will tell, but he'll have to break patterns we’ve seen before.
All of this highlights how difficult it is to find a true franchise player, and when you have one in his prime, you probably shouldn’t let him go.
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