Los Angeles Lakers: What Does Nick Young Bring To The Lakers?
Nick Young is a shooter and that is what the Los Angeles Lakers need. (NBA.com photo)
The Los Angeles Lakers made a move to add freshness and athleticism to their wing by adding free-agent swingman Nick Young to the ranks. Young is familiar with L.A., having represented the Los Angeles Clippers only two years ago.
What will Young bring to the fold?
Above all else, Nick “Swaggy P” Young is a fun player. And that’s OK for this Lakers team. While Kobe Bryant heals from his Achilles injury, Young provides a low-risk, possible high-reward replacement. Even when the Mamba returns, Young can shift to the 3 and help with floor spacing. With Dwight Howard gone, the paint will be spread out, so Pau Gasol can really work down low.
He shot a reasonable 35.7 percent from behind the 3-point line last season, which was a down year for him. But percentages are only half of the game with Nick Young. He has the ability to catch fire at any moment. Yes, he takes some inefficient, simply stupid shots, but sometimes they go in. Sometimes he looks like a world beater. If the Lakers can get that sometimes once or twice in the early part of the season, then it isn’t a bad pickup.
It is widely accepted that the Lakers aren’t going to be winning a championship next season, so why not have fun doing it? Nick Young provides that. He’s almost J.R Smith-ish in the sense that you take everything he does — or doesn’t do — with a grain of salt.
Chris Kaman will provide rebounding and low-post scoring. Oh, and a remarkable beard.
(Flickr.com/Scott Mecum)
And if by magic, the Lakers make the playoffs, then Young — along with Chris Kaman and other free-agent pickups — all have experience they can draw on. It isn’t going to be a highly productive season for the Los Angeles Lakers, but it might just be a fun one. From Kobe coming back; the Swaggy P trying 360 layups, to Chris Kaman beard updates, it promises to be eventful in LaLa land.
There is a potential problem with this signing. Nick Young has never seen a shot he didn’t like. This will drive Kobe Bryant insane. However, if used right, Nick Young to the Lakers could potentially be the underrated move of the 2013 NBA free agency.