The season is still young, but through the Los Angles Lakers’ first four games Nick Young has been their best player.
Four games into the season Nick Young has statistically been the best player on the Lakers. Though he has a reputation for being wildly inconsistent, it’s likely to change, but for now Swaggy P is the star.
Currently, Young is shooting 44 percent from the field to go along with his 43 percent from downtown. He’s averaging 10.5 points per game, along with 1.4 rebounds and a steal.
Ok, so none of those numbers are that impressive. This season being the Lakers best player is kind of like being the world’s tallest four year old. Or in a more appropriate comparison, the best Iggy Azalea song.
It’s only when you dive into the advanced numbers that it becomes apparent Young has been the top guy for this squad.
| Rk | Player | Age | G | MP | PER ▾ | TS% | STL% | TOV% | WS | WS/48 | BPM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Anthony Brown | 23 | 1 | 4 | 48.4 | .868 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | .568 | 7.8 |
| 2 | Nick Young | 30 | 4 | 75 | 21.1 | .678 | 2.5 | 6.1 | 0.3 | .167 | 2.0 |
| 3 | Jordan Clarkson | 23 | 4 | 125 | 20.5 | .620 | 1.1 | 7.8 | 0.3 | .111 | -0.3 |
| 4 | Roy Hibbert | 29 | 4 | 93 | 19.4 | .672 | 0.0 | 20.1 | 0.3 | .153 | 2.7 |
| 5 | Lou Williams | 29 | 4 | 114 | 18.7 | .557 | 2.1 | 9.2 | 0.2 | .101 | -0.6 |
| 6 | Julius Randle | 21 | 4 | 112 | 14.8 | .489 | 2.1 | 14.9 | -0.1 | -0.024 | -5.2 |
Provided by Basketball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 11/6/2015.
Exclude Anthony Brown from these stats (he’s only played four minutes in the garbage time of one blowout) and it becomes clear the Lakers should be giving Young the ball more.
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He has a noticeable lead in several key categories, including his team-best player efficiency rating. With the league average at 15, Young’s 21.2 is actually good enough to be one of the best in the league (albeit during a short time frame). PER takes Young’s entire stat line into account, but the individual elements of his game have also been impressive.
Add on his team-best true shooting percentage (67.8) and the lowest turnover percentage on the team (6.1) and you start to wonder why more plays aren’t being called for him.
He’s even putting work in on the defensive side, leading the team in steal percentage with two and a half percent of the possessions he’s on the floor ending with him stealing the ball. All that adds up to Young being one of the few Lakers with a positive win share. When you look at those win shares per 48 minutes, Young actually leads the team. That seems like a pretty good case for more Swaggy minutes.
If he was given more minutes he could have legitimately impressive numbers. The fact that he’s averaging 26.4 points per 36 minutes with a team best offensive rating, proves he should see more of the court.
Sure, Young is inconsistent, but the Lakers extended his contract because he stayed hot for long enough. After a bad year, he’s hot again and the Lakers need to keep letting him do his thing.
I love the first two weeks of the season where Nick Young gets to play.
— Hardwood Paroxysm (@HPbasketball) October 29, 2015
Fans love the highlight plays Young brings and they should also love the way he’s been playing so far this season.
Nick Young nails the buzzer-beater from near half-court & the Staples Center explodes. https://t.co/TrQtJ6tPHm
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) October 29, 2015
With so few things going right for the Lakers this year, Young’s performance should be embraced by fans and the organization.
Next: Developing Youth and Winning Games Aren't Mutually Exclusive
What do you think the Lakers should do with Nick Young? Let us know in the comments below!