Indiana Pacers: The trials and tribulations of Joe Young

Indiana Pacers guard Joe Young is now in his third season as a pro, but his quest to break into the rotation and establish himself as a viable NBA player continues.

It’s difficult being a fringe player in the NBA — just ask Indiana Pacers point guard Joe Young. Young was a big-time scorer at the college level, averaging 19.8 points per game for Oregon after beginning his collegiate career at Houston.

Young’s scoring ability allowed him the opportunity to be chosen in the second round of the 2015 NBA Draft, taken 43rd overall by the Indiana Pacers.

It’s been an uphill climb for the 6’2″, 180-pounder from Houston, Texas. He was a scorer at the college level, but he has point guard size and he’s had to expand his game to become more of a facilitator since joining the Pacers.

Young has worked hard on his skills, as evidenced by a recent article from the Indy Star that described a typical late-night session for Young at Indiana’s practice facility. On this particular occasion, Joe Young fell asleep at the free throw line during some grueling shooting work.

Young has also done his best to display a leader’s mentality while playing only 75 minutes on the season thus far. An example of this can be seen in his spirited play, such as playing tough (and annoying) defense and drawing a quick offensive foul in his brief stint against the Chicago Bulls on Dec. 6.

Joe Young’s numbers have been underwhelming, but that certainly doesn’t tell the whole story. He’s averaging 2.8 points, 0.6 rebounds and 0.6 assists in 5.4 minutes per contest, while shooting an anemic 1-for-11 from behind the 3-point line.

What those statistics don’t tell you is that Young is doing everything he can to contribute and earn a spot in the rotation. He’s working hard on his game, encouraging teammates and fans and just trying to be a positive force for the club.

Despite his best efforts, Young continues to have his work cut out for him. He’s playing behind Darren Collison and Cory Joseph, two veterans who are good and established NBA guards.

Young isn’t well-suited to play shooting guard, but even when he gets a look at the 2, there aren’t many minutes available there either with potential All-Star Victor Oladipo manning the position.

This is a big year for Joe Young because he is in the final guaranteed season of his rookie contract. The Pacers will have the option this summer to pick up or decline Young’s $1.6 million salary for 2018-19.

It’s very possible that Joe Young is destined to be another second round pick who sits on the bench for 3-4 years and washes out of the league. However, he has the character and desire to make it in the NBA, despite some of his physical and skill-based limitations.

It’s easy to root for a guy like Joe Young, and one would hope that all his effort and persistence will pay off with a long-term spot in an NBA team’s playing rotation.

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But, if his career doesn’t last much longer, at least he’ll know that he did everything he could to make his NBA dream come true — and for that, he’ll have much to be proud of.