The Indiana Pacers’ second-round draft pick in 2015, Joe Young, hasn’t gotten much time since entering the NBA.
It’s clear that Larry Bird and the Indiana Pacers like Joe Young.
Larry Legend has made that clear since he drafted Joe with the 43rd pick in the 2015 NBA Draft. In fact, Larry wasn’t even expecting Joe to be available at that point in the draft, so it was an opportunity the Pacers didn’t pass up on.
"“I expect great things out of them this year,” Larry Bird said prior to Joe Young and Myles Turner’s rookie seasons. “Usually, you bring in rookies and you say nice things about them then they don’t play for a couple years. But I expect both these guys to play, play well. They are very talented.”"
Larry Bird got what he expected, and then some, from Myles Turner. Joe Young had his moments but only played in 41 games during his rookie season.
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Those moments showed flashes of potential, though. Joe Young had a three-game stretch when the Pacers were on a Western Conference road trip in which he averaged 14 points and 6.7 assists per game.
But this season, Young is averaging under 7 minutes per game.
Young came into the NBA older because he played four years of college basketball at the University of Oregon and the University of Houston. He’ll be 25 years old in June, so you’d like to see him get some time sooner rather than later.
During the summer of 2016, it seemed like Joe Young was had an audition for the Pacers’ backup point guard position. Joe Young also got a lot of recognition for his rim-rattling dunk on Nick Johnson during the Summer League of 2016.
He played very well in Summer League for the second straight year, but the Pacers ultimately went in a different direction by signing Aaron Brooks to be the team’s primary backup point.
Indiana’s point guard situation will definitely be something to monitor next summer. Both Jeff Teague and Aaron Brooks will be free agents. The Pacers have made it known that they want to keep Jeff Teague around. If both Teague and Brooks walk, though, Joe Young would be the only point guard on the roster.
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Time will tell, but I still believe Joey Buckets has a future with the Indiana Pacers.