Joe Young getting more minutes, more buckets

Joe Young is getting consistent minutes lately, and that’s leading to the best play of his career with the Indiana Pacers.

Joe Young is living up to his Joey Buckets nickname as of late. More minutes have led to more buckets for the Indiana Pacers guard.

“Just finding a groove. Staying ready, staying patient. I’ve been patient for a couple years and the time is finally coming,” Young told 8 Points, 9 Seconds’ Tony East on Tuesday.

In the last six games Young averaged 17 minutes a game, and with that time he is averaging 8.8 points on 54.5% shooting from the field and 53.3% from deep. Young has a 3-pointer in all but one of those games as he helps the second unit spread the floor. His 2.2 rebounds and 1.2 assists aren’t bad, either.

After two seasons of rarely getting meaningful minutes, Young is taking advantage of the opportunity.

“Consistent minutes makes you a consistent, better player,” Young said. “That’s where I’m learning, where to chose my spots, to pick my spots, pick my passes, and be a better defender. The consistency of the minutes is really helping a lot.”

And he earned those minutes, too. When you are making more than half your shots and the team’s lead grows when you’re on the court, you deserve it.

It was easy to dismiss Young’s hustle when he was sleeping on the St. Vincent Center in November. He was working hard, but some thought it was more for show than anything else. He wasn’t getting time in the game, so he had to put his work in practices and on his own time.

He wasn’t getting much time in games, but he wasn’t doing much to earn more chances, either. That had been the story and problem for him his whole career.

Last season he got some time early on, but he didn’t look ready.

Young “liked” that tweet and several others questioning his play but obviously wasn’t in agreement with them.

He didn’t get much of a chance last season as his minutes played spiked and flatlined like a patient fighting to hold on to life. It felt like his career was, too. Every time he got more than garbage minutes it felt like his future in the NBA was on the line as the Pacers have a team option on him for next season.

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It was tough watching as a few minutes here or there might be dictating whether someone’s career would go beyond a rookie contract.

It didn’t feel fair either, but the results weren’t there to justify more minutes. He looked like a college sharpshooter whose game didn’t transfer to the NBA.

But now he has a shot to prove he is still the marksman he was at Oregon. Can he keep making over half his shots? That’s a tough task for anybody, but right now he is getting time game to game where one missed shot doesn’t serve as evidence against him.

Young still might be playing for that team option to be exercised, but now he has a fair chance to earn it.

Feel free to knock that hustle and confidence has because he is just going to put his head down and go to work. He is going to do everything in his power to prove you wrong, even if that means sleeping at the St. Vincent Center, though he doesn’t do that as much anymore.

“That kept me motived, kept me going. I don’t do it as much no more, because rest is important, sleeping in the bed.” Young said. “I got a daughter now, so got to go home. But doing that kept me positive.”

Next: Small Forward Wednesdays: Bojan's inconsistency

Rest up, Joe Young, and keep getting buckets.