Thaddeus Young 2007 Season Review
Stats: 21 MPG / 10.5 PPG / 53.9% FG / 31.6% 3PT / 73.8% FT / 4.2 RPG / 0.8 APG / 0.99 SPG / 0.11 BPG / 0.86 TOV
The Sixers’ diamond in the rough surprised everyone, not with his skills but with the impact he had in his rookie season. Most people knew he had a smooth lefty jumper and was super athletic, but expectations were focused on long-term development not immediate contributions, let alone being the starter at the end of the season. I was most impressed by his hustle. He got on the floor, he used his quickness and thin frame to steal rebounds and his athletic ability to come out of nowhere on the offensive boards. Last season he proved to me he has the intangibles you look for in a quality starter. When you combine that with his potential to be an inside/outside threat on offense Thaddeus Young could be on his way to all-star status.
Defensively Young started slow. He often found himself out of position and schooled by veteran players. As the season progressed and he gained more playing time, he became a much better perimeter defender. Very good at shooting passing lanes and handling switches in pick-and-roll situations where he was matched up with guards. His weakness was really just size and strength. He admittedly said he was overwhelmed by the size he was up against and was pushed around.
Offensively Thad showed signs of being the most well-rounded player we have on offensive. At times he was able to take bigger, slower defenders off the dribble, post up the smaller players and knocked down the open 17-foot jump shot. Best of all he was able to score without the ball by attacking the offensive boards and running the floor like a thoroughbred race horse.
Grade: A
What Thaddeus Young Should Improve
The 3 main areas Thad should focus on are (in order of importance):
- Ball-handling. Young didn’t turn the ball over much this season, but of his sixty-four total turnovers 61% were ball-handling miscues. Besides improving his overall control of the rock Thaddeus Young needs to develop his handle into a scoring and facilitating weapon. This is especially important if he will be the 76ers’ long-term answer at small forward. Which he has said he wants to be.
- Strength and ability to finish after contact. My biggest frustration with Young was he often avoided contact and didn’t complete shots in close after contact. 1.4 free throw attempts per game is indicative of Young avoiding contact and actually using his athleticism to his detriment. I’d like to see him go at people and get fouled. I am sure the weight room will be Young’s second home. If it is, it will help his rebounding, ability to finish around the rim, post game and post defense.
- 3-point shot. This is an area I really think Thaddeus Young has tremendous potential to improve and help the 76ers’ lackluster long-range shooting. He shot almost 42% from three in college, and if he works on his strength I think that will help the range on his shot. I mean we are talking 3-4 inches depending on where you are shooting from. For a guy that already has a nice stroke this should be doable if the time is put in.
Should Young Be on the Roster Next Season?
Of course. I almost think he is the only untouchable player on the roster. At 19-years-old with his current skill, potential, work ethic and great personality, do we even need to consider him not being on the team in ‘08? The real question remains is he already penciled in as a starter and at what position?
Ideal Role for Thaddeus Young on the 2008 Team
This is a tough call because I think his role will depend on how the off-season moves shake out. If we re-sign Iguodala, keep Andre Miller, and bring in an impact player at either the PF or SG I think Thaddues Young might be relegated to a minimal role. That is, if he doesn’t make tremendous strides this summer improving his game to the point where it would be a mistake not to start and give him considerable minutes. I actually don’t think that possibility is that far of a reach either.
If the core team stays intact and the Sixers are unable to bring in a big-time player I would like to see Young be developed and utilized as the Sixers #2 option on offense. Meaning, he gets some damn plays run for him at various areas of the court. Defensively, he needs to be a better rebounder, and I think he has the potential to be as good as Tayshaun Prince is on defense. They have pretty much the same body, and I would contend Young is quicker and more athletic.
Regardless of what happens I expect to see Thaddeus Young take on a bigger role so long as he strengthens his body and continues to polish his offense game.
Next - Andre Iguodala
See all players reviewed in the Evaluating the ‘07-’08 76ers Series
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12 comments ↓
[...] Thaddeus Young [...]
DANNIE: Sixerzguy asked a question in the discussion under the Zach Randolph rumors post and I’d like some follow up as well. How good is our core?
I realize you will be evaluating each player individually. I am more concerned with the core in it’s entirety. Without getting all stupid about it, it seemed to me that a genuine chemistry developed with this group. Playing together seemed to make each individual better. As proof, they certainly exceeded most everyone’s expectations.
My concern is with the possibility of moving too many of them in an attempt to fill our needs and destroying what we have in the process. How many of them can we afford to move before the whole thing blows up and we find ourselves starting over?
As I’ve said before, I like our core and with a few key additions I think it can blossom into a force. We all know the impact a couple major players can have on a team. The ripple effect travels throughout the rest of the starters and the bench players raising the level of the entire team.
I like your observations and suggestions re Young. He was particularly effective because defenders seemed to forget he was left handed. He has to improve his right hand around basket and mix it up. He gets shot off fast around rim and does well with his floater shot. I really enjoy watching him progress and expect a lot from him next season.
Bski - I think Sixerzguy’s and your question about the core is legit and well worth a post or open discussion all its own. I really had no rhyme or reason to the order of players I was evaluating individually but now that this question has come up I will go through the core guys first then do an interim post of some sort just on them as a whole so we can discuss this topic further. Will work on that over the next couple days for sure.
Just to give a quick thought on it. I am with you regarding the chemistry that developed among our current players. And moving too many guys does nothing to building upon that and will negate that effect.
DANNIE: Thanks, I’ll look forward to reading your post and having future discussions about the core.
gba - thanks and welcome to the blog. I gotta be honest it completely boggles my mind how much lefties give NBA defenders so much trouble. Let me just say that I hate Manu Ginobili but respect how effective his one-hand bandit game is. But almost every time defenders force him right he turns the ball over or takes a bad shot. I can’t understand why ppl let him or any other one hand-reliant NBA player go to their strong hand.
I have very high hopes for Thad, not necessarily next season but 2-3 years from now when he is a 4 year vet at only 23 years-old.
Lets hope Thad develops into a Scottie Pippen type player. Pip came every year with a new skill mastered. Ball Handling, post move then a reliable three point shot to go along with excellent defense. I know he had MJ as Maverick to his Goose, but he worked hard each summer to develop into one of the top 50 players in NBA history.
dre - that is a hell of a comparison - I like it. At only 19 he is still a baby in terms of basketball development. He has so much time to grow and mold his game. If his work ethic is what we all think it is I don’t think Scottie Pippen type skill set is out of the range of possibility (except I don’t think he will grow into a point-forward like Scottie was).
If we get 75% - 80% Pippen I’d be estatic. I live 10 minutes from Georgia Tech and was still surprised at his level of play in the NBA.
[...] is the question two readers, Sixerzguy and Bski, brought up in a few comments on the blog. I think it is a good one and worth a post all its own. I [...]
Hate to be splitting hairs here or picking a fight…but I really can’t stand Scottie Pippen comparisons for the most part. I personally think Scottie Pippen is one of the most criminally underrated players of all time. We are talking about a guy that:
-Could shut down, slow down, or contain pretty much any player in the league for a DECADE.
-Could run a team better as a point-forward then the majority of starting PG’s in the NBA.
-BBall IQ was off the !@#$ chart.
-One of the best passing forwards, if not the best passing forward, of his generation (late 80s - mid 90s)
-Could score under 10 ppg but still be the games MVP.
-If they kept stats on “hockey assists”…pass to the pass leading to a basket, he’d shatter most people’s records in this category.
-Was a great scoring threat on his own, and reliable for 18-22 ppg for his career.
-The one and a half years MJ was playing baseball, Pip played OUT OF HIS MIND and led that Bulls team to the conference finals, which is just an insane feat in my mind.
-When he was almost a 13-16 year vet and old as hell, joined Portland for four years, and again was one of the most underrated players in the L, one of the best cases I’ve ever seen of a veteran-savvy player truly lifting up an entire team’s play.
I know people aren’t saying Thad “is the next Scotty”…but I really think people make Pippen comparisons way too often. He was a special, special player. It would be like a hybrid of aspects of Kidd, KG and Bruce Bowen fused into one…Pip was truly a ridiculously talented guy.
Sorry, had to get that off my chest lol. As for my own thoughts, I’ll again say that none of us really know with Thad. He’s shown flashes of being a 7-8 time all star…flashes of being a nice 2nd or 3rd offensive option, and flashes of being a tweener that doesn’t really fit. The kid is 19 and raw as hell…I think we shouldn’t blow our load over him quite yet.
That said…his work ethic seems incredible, he hustles, by all accounts is a gentleman of a guy, seems very mature for his age…and once he adds some polish and smarts to his game, this kid will really start ballin.
The key is going to be gettin Thad in more at 3 this season. Playing 4 sometimes in a small, quick lineup is okay to change things up. But he just does not play like a 4. I think Thad is going to be an absolute star.
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