Trae Young Needs to Live Up to $212 Million Contract with Wizards

The Washington Wizards fell to the Detroit Pistons 122-111 on Monday, extending their losing streak to four games. After signing a four-year, $212 million contract this summer, four-time All-Star Trae Young was expected to give Washington's offense a major boost. Let's just say his performances over the last two games have been far from what the organization expected when it made that kind of financial commitment.

Against the Pistons, Young struggled to find any rhythm offensively, finishing with just six made shots on 17 attempts. Unfortunately, Monday's performance was not an isolated incident. Against the Oklahoma City Thunder, Young scored just four points on 1-of-6 shooting. For a player taking up that much salary cap space and expected to be one of the primary offensive leaders on this team, those kinds of performances are simply unacceptable.

Two disappointing games might not be enough to draw major conclusions about a player of Young's caliber, but his overall numbers this season make the situation even more concerning. Young is currently shooting 39.8% from the field and 28.6% from three-point range, both career lows. While he is still averaging more than 18 points and nearly nine assists per game, his shooting efficiency leaves plenty to be desired. His ability to create opportunities for teammates is valuable, but Washington needs more from its highest-profile player, particularly when the offense struggles to generate consistent production. Young's ability to control the pace of the game and get his teammates involved remains an important part of what he brings to Washington.

Washington is supposed to be moving forward, not backward. This team has plenty of potential, but the results have not matched the expectations. Losing four consecutive games is frustrating enough, but the bigger concern is whether a player expected to lead this franchise is doing enough to turn things around.

Young does not have to score 30 points every night, and nobody should expect him to carry the entire team by himself. However, Washington invested heavily in him for a reason. The Wizards need their four-time All-Star to provide more consistent offensive production and help establish an identity for this team.

There is still plenty of time for Young and Washington to figure things out, but the clock is ticking. The Wizards cannot afford to continue putting together performances like these and expect things to improve on their own. Trae Young needs to start playing like the player Washington believed it was getting when it handed him a $212 million contract.