Realistic Expectations for Nick Young in His 2nd Season with the LA Lakers

Odd as it may seem, the season-ending injury to Kobe Bryant last year may have been the best thing to happen to his Lakers teammate, Nick Young.

Left without their Black Mamba for all but six games, the injury-riddled Los Angeles Lakers, under former coach Mike D’Antoni, were in desperate need of a consistent scorer. It was an opportunity Young never saw coming, but one he quickly took hold of and blossomed under.

Boastful in the most fun-loving way, the 29-year-old former USC standout easily played to the spotlights of Staples Center.

While the Nick Young of the Washington Wizards, L.A. Clippers and Philadelphia 76ers was often considered a selfish shooter with a disregard for defense, the Nick Young of last season began to resemble a more serious veteran, frustrated with losing and eager to shoulder a lion’s share of the workload.

Playing with a two-year contract which paid him just $1.1 million last season, Young produced the best numbers of his seven-year NBA career.

The 6’7” shooting guard was one of the league’s best coming off the bench, recording career highs in scoring (17.9), rebounds (2.6) and assists (1.5) while averaging just over 28 minutes per game.

The Lakers rewarded the L.A. native with a four-year contract that will pay him a total of $21.5 million. Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak upon confirming that Swaggy P would be back, per Eric Pincus of the Los Angeles Times: 

"

When Nick became a free agent in June, I expressed hope that we would be able to bring him back on a contract that was in the best interest of both the Lakers and himself, and I am proud to say we were able to do so. Nick was a bright spot for us last season, and we are happy to retain such a skilled player who is committed to being a part of what we are building as a franchise.

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Granted, Young’s return seemed to hinge on whether or not Carmelo Anthony would sign with the Lakers. Young knew and accepted that and, when Anthony decided to return to the New York Knicks, was still thrilled to get the extension with the Lakers.

Per Young’s agent Mark Bartelstein, via Mark Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times:

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I've done hundreds of deals over the years but I'm not sure I've ever had one that I've been so excited about. This feels great. He certainly had a chance to make more money coming off the year he had but this is where he wanted to make his home.

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Jae C. Hong/Associated Press

Young is poised for a breakout season and should occupy the all-important sixth-man role. He will be tested, however, and much of that will come from his own teammate, Bryant.

An enormous fan of Bryant, Young will be counted on to prove his worth each and every night. Trash-talking and publicity-seeking only go so far with No. 24.

When the ball-hogging Bryant and Young are on the court together, there will be fewer opportunities to shoot. But in small-ball situations, with either Steve Nash or Jeremy Lin at the point, both Bryant and Young will be the recipients of great passes from two of the game’s leading distributors.

There’s no reason not to expect great numbers from Young this coming season. With a healthy Bryant being counted on for at least 20 points a night, the Lakers will often look to Young as a second option on offense.

Although things can change during the course of training camp, it appears that coach Byron Scott prefers to bring Young off the bench as the first option in a proverbial sixth-man role.

If he gets 30 minutes a night, expect Young to average between 17 and 21 points over the course of the season while possibly taking fewer shots than a year ago (13.9 per contest).

Like Bryant, Young is adept at creating shots off his own dribble. And, in Scott's preferred half-court, Princeton-styled offensive schemes, those types of opportunities should come often for Young.

Where Young also exhibited an improved game last year was on defense. Though he'll never be an All-NBA defender, Young has gotten better at getting back on defense and not giving up the easy baskets.

Nate Scott of USA Today may have said it best when describing Young and defense:

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Nick Young plays defense the way I floss. Flossing is not something I get excited about or pride myself on, but I am aware it’s important and try to do it whenever I remember. That’s how Young seems to feel about defense.

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Playing under Scott, Young will be asked to be accountable on defense. That never happened with D'Antoni as head coach.

Per Dave Miller, Lakers TV analyst on Time Warner Cable SportsNet, Scott is "a no-nonsense, defensive-minded coach. He holds players accountable, Nos. 1-12."

Scott is making sure his players, including Young, know he means business. Per Serena Winters of LakersNation.com:

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Regarding defense, Scott said he recently sent a text message to Kobe Bryant when he was working out with Nick Young and Wesley Johnson. The contents of that message were to warn Young and Johnson that they better be ready to play defense. When Scott saw Young on Thursday, Swaggy P made sure to tell his head coach that he got the message.

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Players often talk a good defensive game but never bring it to the court. And while it remains to be seen just how solid Young the defender can be, he most likely will continue to improve in that area.

He's always felt that he could defend when called upon and, at times last season, showed surprising passion for chasing down loose balls and battling his opponent for steals and blocks.

Scott is high on Young and believes his best years are ahead of him. He loved what he saw last season while serving as a television analyst for Lakers games. Via Mike Trudell, Lakers reporter for NBA.com:

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I liked how he played and how he was giving full effort on the defensive end, and I really love his energy. He cared about winning. He changed his whole persona, what people thought of him. I’d never seen him play defense before. I also saw him being unselfish at times where he made passes. I do love Swaggy coming off the bench.

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As they continue to eye the next two offseasons as golden opportunities to sign A-list free agents, the Lakers will not be handing out many multiyear contracts. 

By giving Young a four-year deal, they signaled to Bryant, his teammates and Lakers fans just how important Swaggy P is to their future.

The Lakers have high expectations for Young. In a year when they will scratch and claw to try and secure a playoff berth, expect Young to exceed and excel.