Love/Hate Series: Thad Young

Thad Young is one of the best players on the Indiana Pacers roster, but that may also be the reason he isn’t on it at season’s end.

Thad Young’s impact on the Indiana Pacers is underrated thanks to his game relying on the fundamentals but lacking the flash that would put him on the SportsCenter Top 10. But don’t let that lack of pizazz fool you.

We saw the fall off for the Pacers last season when Thad got hurt. Indiana struggled all season to find consistency, but things were markedly worse when Young’s wrist was on the mend. Though his wrist never got back to 100% during the season — and it was noticeable as his 3-point shooting fell off a cliff — he still managed to make the Pacers better whenever he was on the floor.

Young wasn’t perfect, but he gave the Pacers what they needed even when his body didn’t allow him to do everything he is capable of. There is room for improvement going into this season, but he is one of the most well-rounded players on Indiana’s roster.

Love: Adaptability

Between his injury and not being the focal point of Indiana’s offense, Thad Young had to settle for what he could on offense, but he made the most it. Young’s previous stops in the NBA saw him take a more active role offensively, but he adapted his game to compliment his teammates.

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Young had his best season shooting in his NBA career, posting career highs in from both insider and outsider the arc. While he didn’t take a ton of 3-points — only 1.6 a game — he made 38.1% of his attempts. Most of his scoring game closer inside the arc where he stretched the floor as a spot up shooter and making cuts to the basket for easy points.

Defensively he paired well with Myles Turner to push opponents away from the basket. Compared to Turner’s struggles to defend away from the rim, Young proved capable of coming off screens and reacting in a way his junior frontcourt partner couldn’t. Those abilities allow him to cover guards and smaller wings in a pinch, or at least long enough for his teammates to recover after being screened.

It wasn’t so much that Young was deferential to his teammates as much as he found ways to compliment them and carve out his own niche. It wasn’t peak Thad, but the team was better for it.

Hate: Defensive lapses

While he gave Indiana more than his mistakes took away, there were times when he simply made mistakes that were inexcusable. A reoccurring theme for the Pacers was their knack for giving away offensive rebounds to their opponent.

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The key word here is lapses. Overall, it is hard to fault Young too much in any particular area, but the mistakes cost the Pacers a game or two down the stretch when the game’s outcome was decided in the last few possessions.

While some of the blame goes to his injured wrist and Indiana’s struggles as a whole, it is hard to deny Thad didn’t play a part in it. There was one point early in the season where he was losing minutes to Lavoy Allen due to his rebounding and defensive mistakes.

Mental mistakes can be as difficult, if not harder to fix than physical ones, but asking Young to tighten up his game is more realistic than asking him to do something we know he isn’t capable of.

An uncertain future

Thad Young is an asset for the Indiana Pacers as they rebuild. The veteran can his younger teammates, but that’s also a reason why he’s an asset in the trade market as well.Young is a starter on almost any team in the NBA that doesn’t have a well-above average power forward. His game his modern (a big that can shoot 3-pointers), something every team can use whether he starts or comes off the bench.

Young is a starter on almost any team in the NBA that doesn’t have a well-above average power forward. His game his modern (a big that can shoot 3-pointers), something every team can use whether he starts or comes off the bench.

While there are plenty of reasons to send him somewhere else, throwing Domantas Sabonis into the fire or expecting T.J. Leaf to be ready so soon are uncertain gambles if the Pacers trade Young.

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Whether it is with Indiana or somewhere else, Thad Young will adapt himself to the situation.