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Pacers Player Preview: Thaddeus Young’s uncertain future in Indiana

By Jon Washburn

MILWAUKEE, WI - OCTOBER 04: Thaddeus Young #21 of the Indiana Pacers is fouled by Khris Middleton #22 of the Milwaukee Bucks during the second half of a preseason game at the BMO Harris Bradley Center on October 4, 2017 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
MILWAUKEE, WI - OCTOBER 04: Thaddeus Young #21 of the Indiana Pacers is fouled by Khris Middleton #22 of the Milwaukee Bucks during the second half of a preseason game at the BMO Harris Bradley Center on October 4, 2017 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images) /
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Will Thaddeus Young end the season in an Indiana Pacers uniform or will the team keep him on as their veteran leader?

Professionalism. If one could sum up Thad Young’s entire playing career with a single word, that would be it. Young has arguably been an above average NBA starting power forward for the past half-decade, yet for one reason or another, YungSmoove’s talents have mostly been wasted and unappreciated on teams that were mediocre or downright bad. Once again, Thad Young enters a season as a genuine asset for a team with no shot of contending for a title. And once again, Young has no idea if he will end the season with the team he started.

A lesser man may have publicly griped, demanded a trade, or slammed a teammate against a wall after season three or four of Thad’s incredibly frustrating Groundhog’s Day yearly re-enactment. Yet, Young has once again come into camp in shape and in good spirits, ready to provide veteran leadership for an inexperienced team.

But how long will the Pacers ask him to carry the lunch pail in Indiana? Thad’s skill set would be useful for any number of playoff teams that are looking for a versatile power forward who can shoot, defend, and get buckets. Further, the Pacers may want to see what they have in Domantas Sabonis and TJ Leaf, two younger power forwards whose timeline matches Myles Turner and Victor Oladipo. It would be unsurprising for the Pacers to be bombarded by suitors near this year’s trade deadline, eager to add Thad Young as a final piece for their playoff run.

Pulling stats predictions from thin air

Role: Third Banana

Young is one of the craftiest finishers in the entire league, and he should receive a healthy dose of inside opportunities this season. He will spend much of his time working opposite of Myles Turner, a big who likes to space the floor and will probably be called on to be the screener in the majority of Pacers pick-and-roll sets. Look for Thad to average an efficient 12-16 points a game, mostly off of baseline cuts, interior drives, and corner threes.

3-Point Shooting: Feast or Famine?

Before the All-Star Break last season, Thad Young shot a blistering 40-percent from three on almost 3 attempts per game.

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    • However, a midseason injury to his shooting wrist completely derailed his outside shot. After the break, Young only shot 14-percent from downtown, managing only 0.3 attempts per game. Young never looked comfortable, and lacked the strength in his wrist to even get the ball to the rim on several occasions.

    So, was Thad’s first half of last season simply the product of a player that has worked hard to extend his range in today’s pace-and-space league, or was it merely an extended hot streak that was bound to revert to the mean eventually? Thad’s first twenty games of 2017 should go a long way in answering that question, and may directly affect his possible trade value as well.

    Interior Scoring: True Wizardry at Work

    Young truly is one of the game’s elite players around the rim. In 2016-17, Thad finished thirteenth in field goal percentage within five feet from the rim among players that took more than five attempts per game. The guys ahead of him? All centers, plus two guys named LeBron and Giannis. Thad routinely makes the type of get-that-garbage-outta-here flips and scoops that drive opponents crazy. He is seemingly on a personal mission to stick it to every coach he ever had that tried to stress the importance of using both hands around the basket — the lefty rarely uses his right hand around the rim, but rarely needs to. He can also still finish above the rim when he needs to and had several thunderous dunks in 2017.

    Player’s Season Summed up in One Bojack GIF

    If you follow the Indiana Pacers, you need a sense of humor. Laugh so you don’t cry. And what’s funnier than Bojack Horseman? Nothing. Nothing is the answer.

    via GIPHY

    Editor’s Note: Jon Washburn does not watch Bojack Horseman, so he has graciously allowed Ben Gibson to pick out Thad Young’s Bojack gif.

    Sweatin’ Bullets

    sweatin bullets
    sweatin bullets /

    Sweatin’ Bullets is an 8p9s tradition started by Jonny Auping in which we offer standalone facts, observations, and commentary, often devoid of context or fairness.

    One Key Question

    Will Thad Young be a Pacer in February?

    The Situation: The Pacers will have to decide whether they want to keep Thad around for his leadership and veteran presence, or flip him into a genuine asset that they could use during their rebuild. A player with Thad’s skill set and a friendly contract would probably net a late-first round pick; the Pacers will have to decide whether such a pick would be more valuable than his mentorship in the locker room.

    More from 8 Points, 9 Seconds

    Best-case Scenario: Thad Young shoots 42-percent from three from now until January. This causes the Cavs to trade the Brooklyn pick to Indiana, and Thad averages 12 points a game off the bench for the Cavs, helping them beat the Spurs in the 2018 NBA Finals. Indiana wins the lottery with Brooklyn’s pick, and their own pick falls in the top five as well. LeBron stays in Cleveland, Paul George signs in San Antonio, and Lakers fans everywhere weep.

    Worst-case Scenario: Thad shoots well enough for the Pacers to remain in playoff contention throughout the winter, causing the Pacers to double down and trade next year’s 1st round draft pick for Dennis Schroeder, trying to make a playoff push. The push fails, the Pacers finish ninth in the East, and Thad Young decides to retire from the NBA.

    Prediction: Thad will average 13-7-2 for the Pacers while shooting 38-percent from three before getting traded at the trade deadline to a team that can fully appreciate and utilize his skills.

    Next: Pacers Player Preview: Sabonis is more than a throw-in

    In Indiana or elsewhere, Thaddeus Young is a building block. The question still remains where he will be after the trade deadline.

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