Scouting Report: Trae Bell Haynes
Trae Bell Haynes had a great season for the Crailsheim Merlins in German BBL and was amongst the best players in the league. He averaged 18 points and 7 assists per game in this season and in the four playoff matches against Bayern he averaged 28 points and 5.3 assists per game.
BACKGROUND INFO
Position: PG
Height: 188 cm (6 ft 2 in)
Date of Birth: 5/9/1995
Nationality: Canadian
Previous clubs:
2018–19 Skyliners Frankfurt
2019 Wisconsin Herd
2019 Niagara River Lions
2019–20 Helsinki Seagulls
Played for Vermont Catamounts in NCAA. He averaged 11.7 points, 3.1 rebounds and 3.7 assists over the four years there and in his Junior and Senior year, he was named as the American East Player of the Year. After not being selected in the 2018 NBA Draft he started his career in Germany for the Fraport Skyliners but when his three month contract expired he went to the Wisconsin Herd in the G League. Later in that season he also played in the Canadian league for the Niagara River Lions and last season played in Finland for Helsinki Seagulls.
VIDEO REPORT:
OFFENSE
Shooting: Trae is playing a lot with the ball in his hands and his usage is usually high. He can score points in many ways and he is improving as a shooter from distance but I think there is still room to improve in this area. The release isn’t the quickest and smoothest especially when taking shots of the dribble. With his handles and quickness he can create some separation so his shots aren’t blocked many times.
In spot up situations he looks more confident and usually sinks those open shots. I think he has the potential to be a consistent 35 % plus three point shooter especially if we take in consideration that is very efficient from the free throw line.
Slashing: With his quickness and great handles he doesn’t have much problems getting to the rim. Has great touch at the rim but sometimes struggles in finishes under contact. He lacks size and strength in the upper body but on the other hand, he knows how to draw a lot of fouls and go to the free throw line where he is pretty efficient. His size could be a smaller issue on top level and sometimes he can get into some hard spots that lead to turnovers.
Pick & Rolls: A big part of Trae’s game consists of pick & roll actions. He has great feel in those situations and usually makes the right read when to shoot, pass or attack the rim. He knows how to use the screen to get some advantage and separation. Also very good at finding the poper in pick & pop situations and this was a big strength from Crailsheim in this season.
Playmaking: Playmaking is another big strength from Trae. His court vision is on a high level and can deliver passes in all directions. His off the dribble passes in pick & roll actions look really beautiful but some of his passes can be way off or too soft and he needs to make a little better decisions because his turnovers numbers are just too high at the moment.
Transition: Trae is also dangerous in transition. With his quickness and tiny body he can push fast and go all the way to the rim. Controls the ball well and really fluid on open court and very efficient in fast break situations. Again, sometimes making some unnecessary turnovers and there is room to improve in this area.
DEFENSE
Perimeter Defense: His perimeter defense is pretty good. He can slide his feet well, has solid reactions and reads the offense well. In my opinion he should sometimes be a little more aggressive and put more pressure on the ball handler and with his quickness go for more steals.
Pick & Roll Defense: His pick & roll defense on other hand has more weaknesses. Trae has some size and strength limitations and is not capable of initiating much contact and controlling the ball handler. With his tiny body he should be able to maneuver around screens better than he is doing at the moment and not get stuck so easily. I’m not really expecting Trae to be an elite pick & roll defender but I think he is capable of more than he has shown so far.
Off-Ball Defense: There is room to improve in his off-ball defense too. His court awareness and positioning is sometimes completely off, losing sight of his man or helping when it’s not his job to help. He falls out of the defensive scheme too often and needs to put more awareness into that.
SUMMARY
Trae Bell Haynes is an interesting player that is improving his game every year. He was recently called into the Canadian national team and will probably represent them in the upcoming qualifications for the Olympic games. He is usually excelling when his usage rate is high so it will be interesting to see him with a smaller role in the team.
His offensive game is on a high level, the size limitations are causing some problems in finishes at the rim but his size is also a big plus in drawing some fouls and getting to the free throw line. Needs to make some better decisions and take better care on the ball because his turnover numbers are too high.
There is a lot more to improve on the defensive side, especially in his awareness.
In my opinion he will get some attention from some teams in international competitions but I think he is not ready for the highest level yet but with a few improvements, he could get there in a few years.
