June 17, 2014

James Young, auditioning for a job in a pizzeria.

Young came into his freshman season with a great reputation, one partly born out of his supposed offensive instincts. But they weren't on show. Players with offensive instincts should not look as lost and motionless as he did when off the ball. They should move, cut, get open, and not just stand there. Players with offensive instincts should not jump to pass several times a game like Young did. Players with offensive instincts shouldn't drive into traffic relentlessly without knowing why they are doing it, without it being the percentage play, without there being any real chance of getting to the rim or drawing a foul because the defender got into position about half an hour before the drive even started. But Young did all these things all year young, showing only slight improvement by the year's end. His fundamentals were weak, his IQ low, his passing vision and decision making poor. He rarely used screens or fakes, threw it away so often, and his shot creating abilities involved either the aforementioned drives to nowhere or just raising up and shooting.

Mind you, if drafted low enough, he can get away with it. Because the potential is there. Young is a big wing with fluid mobility and an extra gear at times, who could be an excellent shooter and an excellent defender. The jump shot form is decent enough, and the results mostly good - if he hones it further, improves his consistency, improves his selection and learns how to create better looks with fakes, jab steps and the like, he could be one of the league's better shooters. And with his size and quick release, it will be tough to block. Young is confident, we'll give him that, and is no shrinking violet which will help his shooting prowess. His handle is sloppy and he ought never be expected to be a regular slasher to the rim, but if he can better recognise his strengths and develops what is already a decent pull-up jump shot, that will give him some effectiveness inside the arc too. He can run the court and finish at the rim, which would suffice as an offensive package were he never to develop much of a slashing game or learn how effective dive cuts can be. The same package is true of his defensive projection, where his size, long arms and mobility bode well, although he needs to plug in all the time and want to attack the glass.

He is of course young and in a situation where he can develop, so there's plenty of scope for improvement, and plenty of reason to expect it. But, meh. Long way to go. Long long way to go.

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