Will James Young ever pass 'The Paul Pierce Test'?

[SHAQATTACK]

Look how long it took AB to become a valuable asset .   Several years ......but Avery had the work ethic and attitude ......

It's mostly growing up and mental ...which road will he choose .

[GetLucky]

Off topic a little, but I remember when Fab Melo first got here a video was released with him and Pierce practicing. Melo started practicing post moves on his own and was so bad that Pierce took it upon himself to come over and talk to Melo about post-ups. When he detected that Melo wasn't listening, he challenged him to 1-on-1 in the low post. Long story short, Pierce schooled him, and Melo's goofy smile got wider and wider while Pierce's look of disappointment got more and more obvious. Eventually, Pierce left shaking his head.   

That, my friends, is called failing the Paul Pierce Test.

[loco_91]

Off topic a little, but I remember when Fab Melo first got here a video was released with him and Pierce practicing. Melo started practicing post moves on his own and was so bad that Pierce took it upon himself to come over and talk to Melo about post-ups. When he detected that Melo wasn't listening, he challenged him to 1-on-1 in the low post. Long story short, Pierce schooled him, and Melo's goofy smile got wider and wider while Pierce's look of disappointment got more and more obvious. Eventually, Pierce left shaking his head.   

That, my friends, is called failing the Paul Pierce Test.

That's a great story and it says a lot. It's not impossible but not easy to teach competitiveness. That's why I love Smart - he's a guy that not only do you not have to teach him, but he will raise the competitiveness of everyone. May Young follow along with that.

[jonaslopes]

Off topic a little, but I remember when Fab Melo first got here a video was released with him and Pierce practicing. Melo started practicing post moves on his own and was so bad that Pierce took it upon himself to come over and talk to Melo about post-ups. When he detected that Melo wasn't listening, he challenged him to 1-on-1 in the low post. Long story short, Pierce schooled him, and Melo's goofy smile got wider and wider while Pierce's look of disappointment got more and more obvious. Eventually, Pierce left shaking his head.   

That, my friends, is called failing the Paul Pierce Test.

Yeah: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YK9eZGkZ-7w

[jonaslopes]

Off topic a little, but I remember when Fab Melo first got here a video was released with him and Pierce practicing. Melo started practicing post moves on his own and was so bad that Pierce took it upon himself to come over and talk to Melo about post-ups. When he detected that Melo wasn't listening, he challenged him to 1-on-1 in the low post. Long story short, Pierce schooled him, and Melo's goofy smile got wider and wider while Pierce's look of disappointment got more and more obvious. Eventually, Pierce left shaking his head.   

That, my friends, is called failing the Paul Pierce Test.

Fab Melo still lives, by the way: http://www.syracuse.com/orangebasketball/index.ssf/2015/04/former_syracuse_center_fab_melo_signs_contact_with_worst_team_in_puerto_rican_le.html

[konkmv]

Smart will avg 12p 4r 6as 2st next year... young will 5-6p next year...will be ready in3 years scoring more than smart

[ctrey]

Young is 19. Give him some time.

[GratefulCs]

Just has to pass the Brad Stevens test

[BDeCosta26]

Off topic a little, but I remember when Fab Melo first got here a video was released with him and Pierce practicing. Melo started practicing post moves on his own and was so bad that Pierce took it upon himself to come over and talk to Melo about post-ups. When he detected that Melo wasn't listening, he challenged him to 1-on-1 in the low post. Long story short, Pierce schooled him, and Melo's goofy smile got wider and wider while Pierce's look of disappointment got more and more obvious. Eventually, Pierce left shaking his head.   

That, my friends, is called failing the Paul Pierce Test.

Yeah: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YK9eZGkZ-7w

Oh man, I love PP. Just imagine how much those guys would've loved Smart. They loved AB, and they believed in him because of his tenacious and aggressive mindset, his work ethic and his pure determination to get better. Say what you will about AB, but without those things he probably wouldn't be anywhere near the player he is today. Who knows if he'd even be a rotation player? Smart has all those things in spades, and he with all his talent who knows how good he can be.

As for Young, had it not been for his little mishap (car accident I believe?) he was probably going to be picked in the late lottery but even if he was picked there he was still a major project for the team that drafted him. He is pretty athletic, can drive to the hoop, moves without the ball fairly well and has that beautiful stroke on his shot but he's so lacking in all the other areas of his game (Passing, or anything involving defense for instance) that on a fast-improving playoff team like ours with a deep bench, anything short of meaningful, tangible improvement in those areas means very little playing time. We could certainly use his outside shooting, which is going to be much closer to the 42% he put up in Maine than the 27% or whatever he put up in Boston, but he's so deficient on D that what he can do offensively is negated by being such a sieve on D.

He has the size, length and athleticism to play the 3 in he NBA. If he can add 10-20 lbs of muscle this summer it will go a long way to getting more PT next year because even with good effort on D like he showed at times this year he'll just get destroyed by the LeBrons and Kawhi's of the world at the 3 spot. If he can do that on top of giving his best effort, he has the tools to be a legit scorer in this league. I think being drafted with Marcus and now being around this group will be good for showing him the importance of 100% effort. Plus, Stevens has done an excellent job getting the most out of his players, which is pretty important when drafting a project with big upside.

And to whomever called Young a bust... When you draft a guy at #17 you shouldn't be expecting him to give you much in his rookie year, especially a 19 year old kid who you drafted based on raw-skills and upside, knowing he would be a project. Ainge took a guy with NBA-ready skills and big time upside in Smart while taking more of a project guy he could develop over the course of a few years who also has great upside in Young. Rookies need time to develop. No bust talk until the end of his third year, at least.

[CelticGuardian]

I think James Young has the upside to allow him to stay with the roster, especially after a strong summer league this year. The dude could really be a stud in this league man. I wish him the best in his career even if he doesn't make it as a Boston Celtic.

[manl_lui]

Young is a good young player, but I agree with everyone here, he's gotta WANT IT. Pierce said it best - you got to come in here p---ed off every day. NBA - No Boys Allowed. There are D-Leaguers who wants to be in Young's position. I want to see him in the training camp and preseason hungry and ready to go

[dwoumn]

I like what I'm hearing out of DA and Young about what he has to work on over the summer. Young could have some impact next year but I definitely believe in 2 or 3 years he will be a big part of that C's team.

Here are James Youngs comments to the Boston Globe.

“Lifting weights is a big thing I’m going to look to this summer to try to catch up,” Young said. “I got caught off guard a couple of times [with an opponent’s strength], but it shows what I have to work on.

“Like I said, you’ll probably see a different person next year. I know it’s going to come. I’m going to go out there and show what I’m working on.”

Angie had this to say about Young's development and future with the team.

“A lot of it is how fast he learns and how hard he works,” he said.

“We’re confident in James. His work ethic has gotten better and he’s understanding of what it takes and I think James wants to play. We have expectations that James will be a contributor next year.”

For the rest of the article: https://www.bostonglobe.com/sports/2015/04/15/cnotes/8wp1ybUGoxS1CllDzGDw3O/story.html

[Evantime34]

I expect big things from Young before it's all said and done. He needs to improve his handle so he can eventually create for himself, and get in NBA shape.

He got beat a lot on defense, but from my view most of it was overplaying one side. More often than not he was in the right place, he just over pursued that spot.

If we don't make a trade to deal several players for a better one I will be surprised. We have way too many back up wings and guards.

[mctyson]

The reason Young is not getting time with the big group, outside of defense, is that he is not knocking down shots.  If he was shooting 40% from 3 he would not be going to Maine that often.

[Beat LA]

Off topic a little, but I remember when Fab Melo first got here a video was released with him and Pierce practicing. Melo started practicing post moves on his own and was so bad that Pierce took it upon himself to come over and talk to Melo about post-ups. When he detected that Melo wasn't listening, he challenged him to 1-on-1 in the low post. Long story short, Pierce schooled him, and Melo's goofy smile got wider and wider while Pierce's look of disappointment got more and more obvious. Eventually, Pierce left shaking his head.   

That, my friends, is called failing the Paul Pierce Test.

Yeah: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YK9eZGkZ-7w

I remember that video.  What was most surprising, to me, at least, was to see that Pierce actually had post moves, lol. Or at least, that's what the misleading title implies, because I really didn't see any good inside moves from Pierce, and yet Fab still went for all of them, lol. Sigh. 

This will probably sound ridiculous, but I've watched the Celtics since 04-05, and I cannot remember seeing Pierce posting up like Kobe even once.  Did he do so earlier in his career?  And by posting up, I don't mean dribbling from the mid-post, I mean traditional back to the basket moves.