Age: 24
Years Pro: 2
Status: Has two years remaining on his rookie contract, both at team options.
Key Stats: Averaged 2.1 points over 4.1 minutes per game while playing in 33 games off the bench.
Joe Young's second NBA season did not go as he hoped. Neither did his first, really, but it still was more productive and encouraging than his second.
Young's playing time and production dropped from his rookie season to last season as he was unable to penetrate the wall of veteran point guards playing ahead of him. Starting point guard Jeff Teague didn't miss a game, and Rodney Stuckey, Aaron Brooks, and Monta Ellis got backup minutes. That didn't leave anything but scraps for Young, who is hungry to succeed if nothing else.
Young averaged 2.1 points, down from 3.8 as a rookie. He played an average of 4.1 minutes over 33 games, down from 9.4 minutes over 41 games. His shooting percentages from the field were nearly identical. About the only positive thing that can be said about his statistical season was that he committed just five turnovers in his 135 minutes, with 15 assists.
Gallery: Young's 2016-17 Season in Photos »
He can't be blamed for not doing much with garbage time minutes. The question is, can he be blamed for not earning more minutes, or was he in a hopeless situation behind veteran players? His career now might be at a crossroads, as the Pacers have the option on each of the next two seasons of the deal he signed after he was drafted in the second round in 2015.
He received double-figure minutes just twice all season, and performed well. He had 11 points in 20 minutes with three assists and no turnovers in 20 minutes in the third game of the season at Chicago. Four games later, he finished with nine points, two assists, and no turnovers in 15 ½ minutes at Charlotte.
He also played two games for the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, averaging 10.5 points, 4.5 assists, and 1.5 steals.
2016-17 Player Reviews: More Reviews, Highlights, and Photos »
Young didn't have as promising a season as he did as a rookie. Then, he had three consecutive games in which he flashed the talent that made Larry Bird believe he would be part of the playing rotation from the start. Stepping through a doorway opened by injuries, he had 15 points and seven assists in the season's 41st game, at Denver, then 11 points and five assists at Phoenix and then 16 points and eight assists at Golden State. At that point, he seemed as promising a rookie as Myles Turner.
Young also had led the Orlando Summer League in scoring heading into his rookie season with a 22.5-point average. He averaged 11.5 points last summer.
His future with the Pacers might be in doubt, but his work ethic, confidence, and innocence are not. He put in the time last summer, and no doubt will do so again. He said during training camp his goal was to be one of the top five point guards in the NBA, but has yet to be one of the top two point guards on the Pacers.
He'll need an opportunity to prove himself, but will either have to prove himself worthy of that opportunity or catch a break from injured teammates to get it. It's a precarious position, as talent keeps rising from below to compete for those opportunities.
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