Veteran swingman Nick Young signed a one year, $5.2 million deal with the Golden State Warriors Friday. I never thought I'd see the day that Nick Young would be a big part of a team that actually mattered. However, upon closer observation, I could actually see this situation being beneficial for both the defending champs as well as the man known as Swaggy P.
For all the improvement made by the Dubs' bench throughout the season, they never found a consistent offensive threat on the second unit. Former Finals MVP Andre Iguodala upped his offensive input after Kevin Durant went down late in the season; Ian Clark had flashes, as did rookie Patrick McCaw, but no one player put the fear in opposing defenses on a nightly basis. As Marreese Speights and Leandro Barbosa have in the past, expect Young to thrive as a designated bench scorer. He’ll see open shots he’d never dreamt of seeing as a Laker. Aside from the on court perks Young should receive this season, he stands to gain just as much off the court.
For all the improvement made by the Dubs' bench throughout the season, they never found a consistent offensive threat on the second unit. Former Finals MVP Andre Iguodala upped his offensive input after Kevin Durant went down late in the season; Ian Clark had flashes, as did rookie Patrick McCaw, but no one player put the fear in opposing defenses on a nightly basis. As Marreese Speights and Leandro Barbosa have in the past, expect Young to thrive as a designated bench scorer. He’ll see open shots he’d never dreamt of seeing as a Laker. Aside from the on court perks Young should receive this season, he stands to gain just as much off the court.
The Warriors succeeded with a career rehabilitation case this past season in Young’s former Wizards teammate and cinnamon challenge tag team partner, JaVale McGee. McGee made the roster on a non-guaranteed deal, and became a valuable bench contributor on a championship team. A solid campaign after being nearly out of the league helped reclaim his now formerly Shaqtin'-tarnished reputation. Throughout his career, Young has often been looked at in the same vein as McGee and Cavs swingman J.R. Smith; talented, but with concerns over complacency and maturity. A "knucklehead" for lack of a better term. After having a nice bounce back year for old friend Luke Walton's Lakers, Young has drawn praise for his defensive commitment, and has been mostly quiet off the court and staying off the TMZ radar.
The most telling sign of Young’s maturity may be his recruitment by the team’s stars. According to Young, he had been contacted by Durant, Stephen Curry, and by now, I’m sure we’ve all seen the snaps of his “recruiting trip” with Draymond Green. Young stated that him feeling wanted was a factor in choosing to sign with the Warriors, spurning other offers that could have been more lucrative in terms of playing time and compensation from the New Orleans Pelicans and Sacramento Kings.
The culture created by Steve Kerr is driven by joy. When you look at guys like Young that have been accused of not taking the game seriously, it almost looks like they're just playing for fun. It kind of goes without saying, that joy and having fun go hand in hand. Put the two together, and you may see the best version of Swaggy to lace up the Yeezys.
You can follow Dino Marcelino on Twitter @DiNDiN4THEWiN
Comments
Post a Comment