After being drafted 17th overall in the 2014 draft, the expectations were high on Boston Celtics‘ swingman James Young. He impressed a lot of scouts who watched him play in his lone season with Kentucky after showcasing his ability to drive to the basket and outside shooting.
But for the past two seasons, he has not been able to show his talents and he became a fixture on the team's bench. As a result, Young had to compete with other players for a roster spot this offseason. The good news is that the Celtics have decided to give him another chance.
Although he is only 21-years-old, Young is already entering his third year in the league. He admitted to becoming satisfied with simply being in the lineup and not giving his best which may very well be the reasons why he has been underwhelming. Per Tanner Rebelo of FanSided:
“I wasn’t playing as hard (early on). I just was satisfied being where I was, being too comfortable. My confidence was down. I have to change that around.”
He stayed true to his word and worked harder than ever in training camp. Young put in a lot of work to further improve his game. His efforts were not left unnoticed as he impressed his teammates with the maturity he has shown. One of them is veteran forward Joe Crowder who had this to say about him:
“He’s taking stuff a little more serious. It’s growing up. He came in as a first-round draft pick and was on the borderline of getting cut. I don’t know what else is going to wake you up.”
But perhaps the most important person who saw the positive changes in his attitude and work ethic is Celtics' President Danny Ainge. The 57-year-old executive discussed some of the things he pointed out to Young.
“I told him this morning, this might be the first time he’s earned anything in his life. He earned this by his play, day-in and day-out. He was given a lot as a young kid with a lot of promise, a lot of potential. We talked about earlier this summer, he had to come out and win a spot with some good competition and he did. He needs to keep doing what he’s doing.”
Not a lot of players are given a second chance in the NBA. Some good ones just settled to play somewhere else after their lone season in the league did not go according to plan. With Young showing a lot of maturity now and understanding the importance of still being trusted by his team, it won't be surprising at all if this will finally be the year he'll live up to his true potential.
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