Leftovers: Young and the weighting game

ESPN

Chris Forsberg, ESPN Staff Writer

One thing that's obvious from putting together this week's feature on Boston Celtics swingman James Young is that there's an awful lot of excitement within the organization about where the team believes he can get to. No one is exactly sure how quickly he'll get there, and the conversation invariably resolves to how he's still only 19, but the Celtics are doing all they can to position Young to contribute next season.

"I think the biggest thing is there are things that he can get better at over the course of time, then there are things that he can get just incrementally better at now to impact his playing time," said Celtics coach Brad Stevens. "So we've really been focused on those incremental things. Whether it is the speed of a cut, whether it is cutting through contact, whether it is catch-and-shoot, whether it is recognizing when you have the opportunity to lose a guy on a cut and then squaring yourself.

"Defensively, it's just increasing his strength. For certain guys, it’s about the weight room as much as anything else. It’s about increasing and physically maturing into your body, from a versatile standpoint. James had really good success this year when we put him on smaller guys. And you can go back all the way through our film and say, 'He didn't lose guys very often.' He used his length, he affected them. And where he can increase his opportunities is by increasing his defensive versatility and putting on that muscle so that he can guard [small forwards]. That’s a huge thing. It’s also something that’s going to take a little time; it’s not going to happen overnight. But he’s really making good strides. I'm excited about him."

As we noted in the original story, Young has gained 15 pounds since he arrived in Boston last summer, all while lowering his body fat, and you can see a bit of increased bulk in his arms and upper body. For versatility-craving Boston, Young's ability to guard multiple positions gives him an even greater chance to stay on the floor.

Young admitted last season that he needs to commit to the weight room in order to compete as a swingman at the NBA level. Stevens said that realization, as much as anything on the court, was a key learning experience in Young's rookie campaign.

"I think one of the things that you have to learn as you get further into this is the more experience you have as a player, the more deliberate you can be in your work," said Stevens. "The less experience you have, the more you're trying to figure out what you’re deliberate work is. ... [Young has] been around working hard. And we’re spending a lot of time shooting and a lot of time handling, and getting better in those areas. But just as important is that [weight] room right there."

Young said that one of the most challenging aspects was simply dedicating himself to the weight room and pushing himself to not simply go through the motions like he might have in the past.

"I didn’t really work out as much [before he arrived in Boston,]" said Young. "That’s one of the things that [team brass] were talking to me about, that my work ethic needed to go up. So from last year to the draft until now, my work ethic has been getting better."

One thing Young stressed was that he's leaving his rookie campaign in the rearview mirror. He's been working hard to improve his body and is eager to showcase his development with a fresh slate this season. One year ago, he wasn't healthy enough to get on the court at the start of his NBA journey, and he might never have given himself a chance to catch up.

"This year," he said, "I'm just letting everything go and I'm focused on just getting better."

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For me, the single most important word in this piece is "cut."  His potential as a slasher was virtually nowhere to be seen last season, and yet—notwithstanding his sweet shooting stroke—I believe slashing could potentially become James' most distinctive contribution to the team over time.

I'm particularly delighted to see Brad using the "cut" word so frequently with respect to James because it suggests the kid won't be so frequently relegated to looking for corner shots.  In fact, an enhanced slashing ability could increase the NBA effectiveness of his three-point shot by making it more of a gamble for opposing defensive players to get up under Young behind the arc.

Sam

Without question additional strength is going to help James Young to have a chance to become a much better NBA player than he showed in his first year. But, just getting stronger physically is not going to make him a totally different defender all by itself either.

He is going to have to garner a much better understanding of how to play defense before he is going to become even an adequate defender at the NBA level. Last year if really seemed to me that he just did not understand or have the feel for defense. In fact, he did not show much of any defense when scoring well with the Red Claws. Does he just not care or is he just completely unaware?

Either way, he is going to have to do more than just get physically stronger, but getting stronger should help him in many ways.

At the NBA Combine I think he was 213. Even if he never gained a pound during the season, that puts him at 233-ish now.

Much much better suited to playing SF now, and boy do we need one.

I agree with Clyde that Young's weight is much less a factor in his potential than his skills.  As of last season, he was pretty much a one-trick pony, and that trick wasn't working all that well at the NBA level.

Sam

He didn't lose his man much?  Wasn't he wearing #13?

It just blows my mind that the coaching staff actually had to tell him his work ethic stunk.  Especially after what we just heard from Brad about wanting "hard-working character players".  Maybe James Young was a wake-up call for Brad...

Defense isn't about weight. If it was Phil Pressey would have a negative defensive score. It's not about size of the player either. It's about the size of the player's heart. He says he won't get pushed around this year? Is not letting others push you around a learning curve?

This is it, James. Pressey has had two years and he is definitely on the bubble now, with 3 new guards being drafted. This is your second year, and every year has a fine crop of SFs to choose from.


bob


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bob,

Not only did the coaching staff have to tell him that he had to work harder, Wallace also use the media to ridicule this young guy during the season.

I certainly do not claim to know Wallace personally, but he comes off as a guy and leader on a young team who would have first gone right to James Young with his concern.

The message to Young should be more than perfectly clear by now. It will be nice to see if he has gotten the message. If he has he may make us a rotational player. If he has not he will be on his way out of the league because as was mentioned there are many guys his size and position trying to get into the league every single year.

wide clyde wrote:bob,

Not only did the coaching staff have to tell him that he had to work harder, Wallace also use the media to ridicule this young guy during the season.

I certainly do not claim to know Wallace personally, but he comes off as a guy and leader on a young team who would have first gone right to James Young with his concern.

The message to Young should be more than perfectly clear by now.  It will be nice to see if he has gotten the message.  If he has he may make us a rotational player.  If he has not he will be on his way out of the league because as was mentioned there are many guys his size and position trying to get into the league every single year.

clyde,

Unfortunately, this is the problem with young players on young teams. Sully was told what he needed to do even though it was/should have been abundantly obvious. Could you imagine either Sully or Young showing this little amount of discipline if KG was still here? Or if they were on the Lakers with Kobe? We need to shed some of the kindergarten and replace them with some grizzled veterans (if we get Koufos would he be considered a 'Grizzly' veteran?). Guys with a lean and hungry look, as Caesar assassin Cassius was described. Killers who have been through a few wars already, not babes in the woods. Not kids who are feeling good about themselves because they have achieved their life goals of being in the NBA, but men who have worked their entire life for a ring and are willing to pay any price to get one before the window closes permanently on them.


bob


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So are both Sully and Young guilty of not taking messages to heart?  That bothers me, as I associate good Celtics with jumping at the chance to improve themselves in any way they can.

Sam

Sam,

I would associate all of the young guys in the NBA with jumping at the chance to improve themselves no matter what team they may be in association with for the huge reason that there is SOOOOOO much money to be made by becoming a better player.  I can only wish that I had ever had such a chance to be able to set all my financial situations solved before I had been 30 years old.

It also bothers me that any of these young kids cannot seem to be able to see the big path standing right in front of them that is paved with $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ signs even if they really never care about winning championships.

I am sure that most teams have kids like Sullinger and Young who may not yet understand, but these guys are our guys and I hope that they pay attention much sooner rather than later.

http://www.nba.com/celtics/news/sidebar/070115-bulked-up-young-is-maturing-in-all-aspects


Bulked-Up Young is Maturing in All Aspects

By Marc D'Amico | @Marc_DAmico
Celtics.com
July 1, 2015

WALTHAM, Mass. – A year ago, James Young arrived in Boston as an 18-year-old kid.

Now, he’s slowly turning himself into a man, both physically and mentally.

A visibly bulked up Young appeared in front of the media Wednesday afternoon following Boston’s first summer league practice. He confidently informed the reporters who circled around him that his appearance was no mirage.

“When I first got here [after last season] I was 200 (pounds), or 195,” Young said.

“I’m up to 220 now.”

Young’s body is clearly developing, and as Celtics summer league head coach Jay Larranaga stated, so is the shooting guard’s mind.

“He’s just maturing as a person more than a player or anything else,” Larranaga said. “You get more comfortable in your surroundings, you start to kind of figure out how things work. I think his biggest growth is off the court and just his approach.”

This is music to Boston’s ears.

There has never been a question about Young’s talent, skill or promise. He’s blessed with high-level potential.

There have, however, been questions about his work ethic. This is his first major step toward silencing those questions.

No longer do the Celtics need to wonder about whether he’ll show up to the weight room on an off day. No longer do they need to worry about what he’s doing off the court. He has found himself and is turning into a reliable prospect.

“I felt like it was more mental for me,” Young says of his newfound approach, “because confidence-wise I was up and down the whole season.

“Now I’m not worried. I’m staying off of social media and stuff like that. I’m just worrying about me and getting better.”

The Celtics are already seeing the dividends. Young says his added weight is allowing him to do things on the court that he had never done before.

Asked how his strength has affected his game, Young explained, “Definitely attacking the basket. I use my body a lot more in drawing contact and the coaches have really been seeing it.”

This is an area of the game that, according to Larranaga, head coach Brad Stevens emphasizes to every player in the program.

“Coach Stevens talks a lot about owning your space, whether that’s at the offensive or defensive end,” Larranaga said. “That’s a big deal – being able to offensively to not get pushed off your cuts, to not get pushed off a screen, and defensively to push a man off their cuts or their screens.”

At 220 pounds – the same weight Marcus Smart was listed at last season – Young is now equipped to own his space quite well at the NBA level.

Additionally, the 19-year-old has been working on his game at the defensive end of the court. He dedicated two to three straight weeks of workouts to honing his defensive slides, communication and help defense. That’s what he wants to showcase more than anything during the Salt Lake City and Las Vegas summer leagues.

“(I want to prove) that I can play at both ends of the floor, not just play offense,” he emphatically stated. “That’s what I’ve been working on a lot more – defense – so I want to prove that to them.”

If he does, the entire NBA will soon begin to understand why the Celtics invested their 17th overall pick in Young one year ago.

There’s no question that Young is trending in the right direction. His body and mind are maturing, and now it’s time for him to prove his worth to Stevens and the Celtics.

This article by D'Mico has lots of good things in it for Celtics fans. All of us certainly hope that this is exactly what is going to happen with James Young as it is always nice to get a rotation player without having to trade or pay extra for one.

I am sure that everyone will be watching his improvements in the two summer league settings.

By:
Mark Murphy
WALTHAM — James Young admits that his sense of self took a beating last season, when the same cycle fed on itself.

The second-year Celtics forward would take the shuttle up to Portland, Maine, play like an All-Star for the Red Claws of the Development League, and get brusquely knocked back to reality once he returned to Boston.

“I was skinnier, pushed around, and I didn’t want to feel like that anymore,” the swingman said yesterday following the Celtics summer league team’s first practice.

“I’m just stronger.”

Much has been made of Young’s ability to add 15-20 pounds of muscle since the end of the season thanks to a monastic routine at the Celtics workout facility. He wants to add more positive weight and hopes to learn something about his new power during the next month.

Celtics management refers to Young’s quest as learning to own one’s space.

“Coach (Brad) Stevens talks about owning your space, whether it’s in the offensive or defensive end,” said Jay Larranaga, who will split summer league coaching duties with fellow Celtics assistant Micah Shrewsberry. “That’s a big deal, offensively not getting pushed off your cuts or pushed off a screen, and defensively pushing your man off their cuts and their screens. You see Marcus Smart, he owns his space constantly. That’s what everyone else aspires to do.

“Most 19-year-olds lack that. That’s one of the areas they have to slow down. The game is going very fast for them, and they think they have to act fast. As they get older and are around veteran guys, they learn to slow down and be more physical.”

Young’s age sometimes is easy to forget. He was the second-youngest player taken in the 2014 draft, and despite the presence of eight rookies on this summer league team, Young is the youngest player on the roster.

So he’s attempting to grow up. He’s sworn off social media, saying of the distractions that came with reading all the positive and negative tweets, “I just don’t need to read it — some good, some bad, but it’s not for me. It was distracting, so I just decided to put it to the side. I’m about me getting better right now.”

To wit, Young posted his last tweet May 18. It’s one small part of his attempt to build discipline, a concept that was murky at best for Young as a 19-year-old rookie.

Asked about the biggest change now — what he has learned from all these solitary workouts in Waltham — Young points to his work habits.

“It’s the first time I’ve done this, but my work ethic is better than it’s been in the past,” he said. “I just try to play hard. I feel like it’s more mental for me, because confidence-wise I was up and down.

“Last year it was mental more than anything. Going back and forth to the D-League threw my confidence off more than anything. I felt like every possession mattered. Now I’m not worried about anything, and I’m just going out there to play.”

Thus his hours in the gym with Celtics assistant Kwame Graves, going through countless defensive drills. Young returns each night to take 500 jumpers before turning in. Thanks to that added weight, Young is noticing a change in his game.

“Definitely attacking the basket — I use my body a lot more, drawing contact,” he said. “Me and Kwame have been doing nonstop defensive slides, pulling over and communicating. I did that for about two or three weeks straight and have it built into me now. I try to keep my balance straight and stay more focused.”

Keep in mind that this will be Young’s first summer league. A concussion, the result of a pre-draft car accident, kept him on the sidelines last summer.

“He’s just getting older,” Larranaga said. “So many guys come into this league at such a young age, and he’s still maturing as a person. You get more comfortable in your surroundings, you start to figure out how things work. The biggest growth is off the court, and he’s moving in the right direction with that. Last year, he had the car accident right before the draft and wasn’t able to be a part of summer league. This is his first opportunity to be a part of the focus day in and day out. Hopefully he’ll seize that opportunity.”

When I first started reading this thread I thought, "Good God, he's only 19. Give him a break. Patience, please." When I was that age I had so much developing to do physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Then I flashed on a trip I took to NZ and Australia in 1983, when their #1 pop song was "I Was Only 19." It still haunts me and evokes enormous respect in me for all those who served in that wretched Vietnam war.

Here it is: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Urtiyp-G6jY


worcester,

Different era, different circumstances. He's a pampered athlete who volunteered for the draft (as opposed to most Vietnam vets). If he wasn't ready, he should have stayed in school.

I understand it's in our best interests to be patient, but I'm not going to be patient for his sake. He needs to step up or step out.

On the positive side, I like that he has been practicing tons of defensive schemes everyday BEFORE he takes his shooting practice. No defense, no minutes. Simple.


bob


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worcester wrote:When I first started reading this thread I thought, "Good God, he's only 19. Give him a break. Patience, please." When I was that age I had so much developing to do physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Then I flashed on a trip I took to NZ and Australia in 1983, when their #1 pop song was "I Was Only 19." It still haunts me and evokes enormous respect in me for all those who served in that wretched Vietnam war.

Here it is: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Urtiyp-G6jY

worcester,

Different era, different circumstances.  He's a pampered athlete who volunteered for the draft (as opposed to most Vietnam vets).  If he wasn't ready, he should have stayed in school.

I understand it's in our best interests to be patient, but I'm not going to be patient for his sake.  He needs to step up or step out.

On the positive side, I like that he has been practicing tons of defensive schemes everyday BEFORE he takes his shooting practice.  No defense, no minutes.  Simple.


bob


.

...should have doesn't figure into the thinking of many 18 year olds.

Fortunately, Brad is the perfect coach for this kid who is taking the steps needed to develop his game and desire to be a champion. We shall see.

Yeah, Young doesn't get much patience on this board. Meanwhile they're sleeping on a big-time prospect.

Guys like Klay Thompson, Stephen Curry, Damian Lillard, and a whole lot of other top scorers would have been lucky to get drafted in the second round if they came out after their freshman year, and they still would have been a year older than James Young was when he went top 20 after a big NCAA tournament, leaving with not a whole lot left to prove.

The US's basketball youth development coddles these kids way too much, unlike Europe where they're pros at 16.

I'm not going to hate on an 18 year old kid who was coddled all his life by poor mentors, especially when the game came soooo easy to him.

And I wouldn't even give up on him after this coming year, as long as he was making steady strides.

But he's about to make people respect him.

I hear you Rambone. I'm feeling the love for our former one trick pony. Like Sam said, I'm elated that Brad is coaching him on cutting, cutting, cutting. That'll greatly help his O game. The muscle and the Celtics cultural context in which he operates will help his D game too.

It's quite possible that his rookie season played out perfectly, and that his big wake up call wouldn't have happened without Stevens keeping him out of the rotation down the stretch.

Stevens is the best thing that ever happened to James Young, other than being born with that talent.

rambone wrote:Yeah, Young doesn't get much patience on this board. Meanwhile they're sleeping on a big-time prospect.

Guys like Klay Thompson, Stephen Curry, Damian Lillard, and a whole lot of other top scorers would have been lucky to get drafted in the second round if they came out after their freshman year, and they still would have been a year older than James Young was when he went top 20 after a big NCAA tournament, leaving with not a whole lot left to prove.

The US's basketball youth development coddles these kids way too much, unlike Europe where they're pros at 16.

I'm not going to hate on an 18 year old kid who was coddled all his life by poor mentors, especially when the game came soooo easy to him.

And I wouldn't even give up on him after this coming year, as long as he was making steady strides.

But he's about to make people respect him.

Totally agree. I don't think that "he doesn't care" or "he doesn't get it" - the kid was 18, and probably intimidated and in a little over his head, which led to self-doubt and hesitation. He tore up the D-league, as any genuine nba player would (thus indicating he can be an nba player). The talent is there, hopefully it will reveal itself more often this year.

Actually, I don't believe he's had enough time to measure how much he cares or how much he "gets it."  Those are intangibles that surface only over time (if ever).  What is apparent from the start is skills or lack of them.  It may be true that the game comes easy to him, but so far it has been a game limited pretty much corner jumpers; and he hasn't shown an ability to connect regularly on those at the NBA level.

I've mentioned that one difference between the D League and the NBA could be a tendency of D League defenders to "cheat" toward the inside, thereby leaving the corners more open in the NBA.  If so, he'll have to learn how to get open for at least an extra second in the NBA.  Maybe he will; maybe he won't.

Moreover, if his reputation is mainly for the three-ball, guess where smart NBA defenders are going to play him.  And another tendency he has shown is a reluctance to prove he can change things up by taking the ball to the hoop and finishing well.  He did make a couple of nice drives toward the end of last season, but they seemed to be anomalies.

Ask yourselves what strengths (not physical attributes....I'm talking about skills or work ethic or other intangibles) he has shown other than the marginal NBA three-point shot has displayed so far.  I think he's been a one trick pony, and that pony has been limping along so far.

Regardless of how young a kid can be, it's often possible to detect little clues as to the parts of his game offer developmental possibilities.  What have they been in James' case?

Perhaps Brad can be faulted for sticking James in the corner so much.  I thought that was what happened to a similar prospect—Chris Johnson—a couple of seasons ago.

I hope he develops into the quality of player his most optimistic supports look forward to.  I would never be one of those who says James' work ethic is wanting.  But I do believe that, in order to propel himself in the necessary direction, he's going to have to bust his butt on both ends of the floor.

Sam

Sam, like many rookies, he was playing like he was afraid of getting benched and sent down to D-League, putting too much pressure on himself as if every miss meant another trip to the bench and to Portland. And he'd only get one or two shots a game, being the fifth option on the floor by design, and playing with "point guards" who couldn't even get into the lane and be disruptive.

It's not that D-League doesn't contest shots and NBA contests every three and he just can't hack it. And as I've said before backed up by links to his highlights, Young hit a TON of contested threes in the D-League with an inch of daylight, and even while being fouled.



And rather than being a one trick pony, he has good and improving footwork, and well above average instincts and ability to create his own shot. Something he didn't really have the opportunity to even do much last year, being the guy in the corner in a one-trick-pony role.



He has good and improving athleticism, deceptive length, and excellent touch on his driving shots around the rim, and with that great touch on the move, a devastating floater is to be expected now that he can buy cigarettes. Just wait until he can buy a beer.

I honestly don't know what Young's future in the league is, I just think its too early to tell. Its always safe to predict a guy won't make it or won't be impactful because the numbers are always in your favor. There just aren't very many very good players. I just feel he was never given the opportunity to play through his mistakes and find his way. Now, it might be that at 18 yrs old, he isn't ready to do that, and he hasn't yet earned the leeway to play through mistakes. However, that doesn't mean he will never be ready. Most college players are not good enough to be stars in the D-league, and Young most certainly was. Thus, since he was at the top of the intermediate stage between college and pro, it is not unreasonable to think he has a place in the pros. You know how young 18 is? Yeah, maybe Lebron had an impact at 18, and KG and Kobe to a lesser extent, but those are pretty high standards. When I look at him play (e.g. the vid Rambone posted), I just feel like he could be good if he can just get a little momentum and confidence going.

Rambone,

I've studied NBA psychology for a long time; and I respectfully believe it's possible to overemphasize youth, fear and headlights in holding certain players back.  Many young guys have concerns when entering the bigs, but those with innate confidence in their skills are likely to be the ones who can bring those skills to bear to accentuate the positive and minimize the impact of fears on their games.  Smart took hold right away because he knew he could exert clamp-down defense fro the get go.

I haven't seen signs of any James' skills that are strong enough to give him the kind of confidence that can overcome his concerns.  And being a one trick pony is a big part of that.  Moreover, the DL is definitely much more focused on offense and less focused on defense than the NBA.

I hope he finds a way to make it.  But if his fears outweigh his abilities, it'll be a long road.

Sam