Boston Celtics player report card 2016-17: James Young
The 17th-pick of the 2014 draft has never quite lived up to his potential with the Boston Celtics.
The number one pick of 2017 in their possession, the Boston Celtics appear to be on track in snagging a guard with that pick on June 22.
There’s a good chance that means James Young has played his final minute as a member of the Celtics.
Already buried on the depth chart–outside of the starters–behind Terry Rozier and the high-flying Jaylen Brown, Young was the odd man out for much of the 2016-17 season.
The first time in his young career, Young was on the Boston roster for the entire season. The result: 29 games in which he saw minutes.
Young is an unrestricted free agent. A flurry of free agent rumors floating around and the improvement of Rozier and Brown might mean the Celtics part ways with Young this offseason.
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Surveying a limited scope
First-round picks, especially those out of Kentucky, usually arrive in the NBA with a trunk full of expectations.
Young was no different. Given different circumstances in Boston i.e. tanking, Young might have found a spot on the roster to perform consistently.
As it was, Boston did not go that route. Young’s first two years were spent between Boston and the D-League. Through three seasons, Young has only played in 89 career games.
The lefty averaged 2.3 points in limited action in ’16-17. He did notch the best field goal percentage (43.1%) and three-point shooting percentage (34.3%) of his career.
Early in the season, it looked as if Young had worked himself into a constant spot in the rotation. One of the early season highlights was a victory at the Indiana Pacers in which he scored 12 points and had two steals.
Even as late of February, it looked like Young might be a contributor down the stretch. He twice scored ten points in a game in February, but only played in six of the team’s final 22 games.
Final thoughts
My final grade for Young is a D. I wavered between this and an ‘incomplete’, given his limited play time.
The truth is–as a former first-round-pick–Young left a lot to be desired. Every time he drained three, it was my hope he could finally parlay it into regular minutes.
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Unfortunately, Young never found that rhythm. In today’s three-point happy league, Young has the ability to help a team out. He still has plenty of time to settle into a groove and find consistent minutes in the NBA. It just may not be with the Celtics.