01-23-2008, 04:29 PM
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#1 (permalink)
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Kwisatz Haderach
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Coatesville, PA
Age: 25
Posts: 24,309
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Rookie Young showing big upside
Quote:
Ed Stefanski didn't succeed Billy King as president and general manager of the Sixers until Dec. 4.
While Stefanski wasn't in charge for last June's draft, he appreciates that King and staff selected Thaddeus Young at No. 12.
“What he has done has been fantastic,” Stefanski said after Tuesday's practice. “If he was a stock, I would've loved to have bought him. It's too late now. This kid has a huge upside.”
The Dec. 29 trade of small forward Kyle Korver to the Jazz may have cost the Sixers their best perimeter shooter, but it opened up more minutes for Young. He's taken advantage of the opportunity.
Young, who played one year of college ball at Georgia Tech, is averaging 9.7 points, 4.8 rebounds, 22.6 minutes and shooting 42-for-76 (55.3 percent) in the last 10 games.
In his first 21 games with Korver on the roster, Young averaged 4.7 points, 2.6 rebounds, 10.6 minutes and shot 48.8 percent.
In Monday's 110-103 home loss to the Pacers, Young had 13 points and seven rebounds in a season-high 30 minutes. He started the second half in place of Reggie Evans for matchup purposes. The 16-26 Sixers scored 18 more points than the Pacers in the time the 6-8 Young was on the court.
Young also helped them end a seven-game losing streak in Houston with eight points in the fourth quarter during the comeback victory and was a driving force in the Sixers' establishing a 12-point second-period advantage over the NBA-leading Celtics on Friday. Not surprisingly, he is becoming a regular on the floor late in games.
“His maturation in terms of playing the game and learning the game early has been tremendous,” coach Maurice Cheeks said. “We keep him on the floor in the fourth quarter of close games. I'm not afraid to put him in the game, certainly not afraid to start him in that second half because the things he does are very good.”
Young, the second-youngest player in the league behind Seattle's Kevin Durant, figures to continue his increased role tonight at the Wachovia Center against the veteran Pistons. He suffered a mild sprain of the right wrist in Monday's game, but it didn't prevent him from practicing Tuesday and won't stop him from playing this evening.
“I can learn more on the court than just sitting because when you're on the court you're playing and going through all the trials and tribulations,” Young said. “I feel myself getting better every step I go.”
The Sixers see it, too. If the rest of the league does, it could result in a spot on the rookie team for the rookie/sophomore game Feb. 16 during All-Star Weekend in his birthplace of New Orleans.
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Originally Posted by Henry Rollins
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