Can Nick Young’s Relationship with the Lakers Be Saved?
By Hannah Kulik
When Nick Young joined the Lakers before the start of the 2013-14 season, it was a homecoming for him. He grew up in Los Angeles, went to Cleveland High School in the San Fernando Valley, and attended the University of Southern California, where he starred for three seasons. He decided to skip his senior year to enter the NBA draft. He was chosen 16th in the first round by the Washington Wizards. By the time he joined the Lakers many years later, he was already a veteran at 28, but except for a short stint with the Clippers, he had played his entire career for teams outside California.
-== Top 10 Lakers Draft Picks of All-Time ==-
Live Feed
Wiz of Awes
Young made no secret of his desire to play for his beloved purple and gold, for whom he cheered as a kid. So anxious was he to return to Los Angeles that he signed for a minimum salary. His well-deserved reputation was, “good but streaky shooter, unstoppable when hot, no defense.” At age 28, he was in his basketball prime and it was time to settle down, focus, and prove he could become a good, consistent NBA player. An added bonus was that his good friend Jordan Farmar was returning to the Lakers as well. Not only was Farmar a friend, but stories emerged that he had helped Young prepare for the SAT’s to get into college and was just an all-around good influence who kept Young grounded. For Young, joining the Lakers offered a promise of happy days ahead.
Indeed, his first year with the Lakers was positive even if the team itself was awful. Young was able to balance his “Swaggy P” persona off the court with some adept shooting and better-than-expected defense on the court. Whether it was Mike D’Antoni’s free flowing offensive style that suited Young’s talents, or the solid influence of Farmar in the locker room and beyond, Young had a good season, arguably the best of his career. When the year was over, the team let most of the players leave including key players like Farmar, Pau Gasol, Jodie Meeks, and Kent Bazemore. Of all the players on the 2013-14 roster, only Young was rewarded with a long term contract. Given the Lakers’ well-documented strategy of preserving as much cap space as possible to sign big-name free agents, signing Young, of all people, to a long term deal had to mean the Lakers valued him very highly.
Live Feed
Blue Man Hoop
This past season would mark the highly anticipated return of Kobe Bryant and Steve Nash. However, on the whole, the roster seemed like it might be weaker than the year before.
Young was counted on to play a major role. One obvious flaw in the team was that other than Bryant, there was no one else who was capable of creating his own shot and consistently hitting from the outside. He and Bryant seemed to bond over the summer. However, when training camp started, there were some ominous signs. When Byron Scott, the new coach, famously announced that the three point shot was overrated, what signal did that send to Young who was a three point specialist? Was Scott going to treat Young as a square peg whom he would try to squeeze into a round hole?
The season, for Young and everyone else affiliated with the team, was an utter disaster from beginning to end. Young was injured early and did not play at the start of the year. By the time he returned the team was already a sinking ship. He temporarily brought a much needed outside shot to the floor for the Lakers in his early games, but as the losses mounted, Young’s highly touted outside shooting betrayed him. He could not score, and when Young does not score, you know he is going to pout and disappear on defense. That got Scott mad at him. Things went from bad to worse, and Young’s playing time diminished along with his outside shot and his confidence.
You can get away with being “Swaggy P” off the court only when you bring a bit of swag on it. As Young’s game crumbled, his “court jester” conduct began to wear thin, especially with Scott. Was it Scott’s system? Does Young need more positive encouragement and on-court freedom than Scott was willing to give? Did he miss Farmar’s influence? Whatever it was, Young was terrible. Further, he continued to suffer injuries until finally, and some would say mercifully, it was announced that a mystery knee injury ended his season.
Can this relationship be saved? Probably not, especially with Scott as coach. Without taking sides, Young is always going to be Swaggy P and Scott is never going to like it. Plus Young will be 30 next season. It is time to get serious. When the season ended players such as Jordan Clarkson and Ed Davis made it clear they would be in the gym all summer working to improve their game. That is what Young needed to say to show his level of commitment and maturity. Instead, he announced that if anyone wanted to find him he would be in Hawaii.
The Lakers are likely going to try to trade Young. The only problem is, they signed him to a long term contract and with three years remaining at $5 million per year, it is unlikely there will be any takers. Young must be conflicted. He no doubt despises Scott as a coach, yet he wants to be in Los Angeles surrounded by his show biz and music industry friends, not to mention his famous girlfriend. It appears both sides have no choice but to co-exist, which means we may be in for more conflict next season.
Since a basketball career is short, and Young is likely stuck with the Lakers and vice versa, the best thing that could happen would be for Young to accept the challenge, get serious about basketball, and hit the gym in the offseason. Young is likeable, and people want him to succeed, but he has to grow up and do his part, which leads to the most important question: Do they have any gyms in Maui?