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Indiana Pacers: Will Joseph Young Make An Immediate Impact?

By Wally Hughes

Mar 20, 2015; Omaha, NE, USA; Oregon Ducks guard Joseph Young (3) reacts after a basket against the Oklahoma State Cowboys during the first half in the second round of the 2015 NCAA Tournament at CenturyLink Center. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 20, 2015; Omaha, NE, USA; Oregon Ducks guard Joseph Young (3) reacts after a basket against the Oklahoma State Cowboys during the first half in the second round of the 2015 NCAA Tournament at CenturyLink Center. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports /
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What Larry Bird wants, he gets. That’s part of the perks of being the president of an NBA team and one of the greatest basketball players to ever live.

What does Larry want? Bird wants the Indiana Pacers to play faster and use smaller lineups.

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That means the Pacers had one goal entering last week’s NBA Draft: Select players who fit the uptempo style that Bird so desperately covets.

With its lottery pick, Indiana selected Myles Turner — a 7-footer who can stretch the floor with his outside shot and flourish in small-ball lineup, but will likely need time to develop and reach his full potential.

However, in the second round the Pacers struck gold by selecting the reigning Pac-12 Player of the Year, Joseph Young, in what may turn out to be the steal of the draft.

Young is an undersized combo guard (6’2″, 180 pounds) who can stuff the stat sheet offensively, and while Turner may have the higher ceiling, it may actually be Young who makes a more immediate impact on the Pacers.

Young impressed in his senior campaign at Oregon, averaging 20.7 points per game and distinguishing himself as one of the best scorers in college basketball. At the NBA level, Young has the potential to help teams off the bench with his ability to score. The Pacers, needing playmakers and backcourt help, hope that Young can be that player for them.

Scoring Ability

Like most volume scorers, Young can put the ball in the basket in a variety of ways. At Oregon, he posted efficient shooting numbers despite being forced to carry most of the load on offense.

For his career, Young was a 39 percent three-point shooter, which is even more impressive when you consider he attempted 6.3 threes per 40 minutes. Last season, three Pacers posted a better average: reserves C.J. Watson and Damjan Rudez, and Paul George (who appeared in six games). Young’s addition will provide the Pacers with another deep threat off of the bench.

In addition to his three-point shooting, Young can also score off the dribble, where he connected on 43.9 percent of his shots at Oregon. If he can figure out how to consistently get to the rack at the NBA level, he will prove to be lethal.

He converted 57.1 percent of his shots from close range (outstanding considering his size), but does most his damage by drawing contact and getting to the free throw line. Young shot an astonishing 93 percent from the charity stripe his senior season, and without a doubt will be one of the best free throw shooters in the NBA.

Note: Shooting percentages courtesy of Young’s DraftExpress Profile

Can he be a Facilitator?

One area where Young needs to develop is as a facilitator. With his size, Young will be expected to play as a combo guard and therefore spend some time in the point guard role. Both of Indiana’s backup combo guards — Watson and Rodney Stuckey — averaged more than three assists per game last season.

The Pacers won’t expect Young to be the next John Stockton, but he must at least show the ability to set up teammates for easy scoring opportunities.

The good news is Young did improve as a passer his senior season, placing a bigger emphasis on involving teammates and averaging 3.8 assists per game (he averaged 2.7 apg for his career). However, as his assist numbers increased so did his amount of turnovers — he averaged 2.4 turnovers per game as a senior, the worst mark of his collegiate career.

If he hopes to improve as a facilitator, he will have to learn to take care of the ball. As is the case with many rookies, ball security may become an issue at times with Young.

Defensive Concerns

The biggest red flag for Young entering the draft (other than his size) was his struggles on the defensive end. Simply put, Young is at a disadvantage because he will typically be guarding bigger players. However, instead of making up for lack of size with effort, Young was often viewed as lazy on defense with poor technique and work ethic.

Fortunately, those traits can be corrected if the player is willing to put forth the work, and if Young wants to play, he must correct his defensive effort. The Pacers have built a reputation for being a blue-collar, defensive-minded team, and will not tolerate laziness on defense.

Young is athletic, quick and has a respectable 6’5″ wing span, which suggests he could become a pesky undersized perimeter defender with time — if he wants to. Young may be known as a scorer, but if he wants to earn minutes for an NBA team he will have to focus on defense.

Will Young Make an Impact This Season?

Can Young help the Pacers this season?

Yes. Right now, the Pacers are looking for depth in the backcourt and Young can provide a scoring punch off the bench. He will have to improve his defense, but Young is offensively-gifted enough to step in and provide valuable backup minutes at both guard positions right away.

Young may have been a second-round pick, but he very well may make more of an impact than the team’s lottery pick his rookie season.

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