Scouting Report: James Young

James Young has proven to be a versatile scorer in his first year at Kentucky, but what is his role at the next level?

University of Kentucky wing James Young might be one of the more ironically named players in college basketball this year.  He is young to be sure, 18 years young to be exact, but don’t let the surname fool you.  This product of Troy, Michigan has an old man’s game and uses every bit of it to get buckets for his Wildcat squad.  Measuring out at prototypical SG/SF size at 6’6-7” and in the ball park of 215 lbs, the freshman plays at a steady pace and rarely looks hurried.  He’s yet another in a long line of savvy  southpaws that uses his  left-handedness to create space and confuse defenders. 

Young is already quietly becoming the Wildcat’s guy to make something happen when the young team struggles to create shots in the flow of its offense, averaging a respectable 14.3 PPG on 39% of his field goals.  Concerningly Young is only knocking down 33% of his three point attempts but this is due in part to taking efficiency harming bail-out shots.  Still, it does denote a knock on Young that has consistently followed him:  He’s a good shooter but not necessarily a great one.  Actually, you can say that about just about any facet of his game.  Athleticism?  Yep.  Ball handling?  Yeah huh.  Decision making?  Afraid so.  Young does not stand out in any particular way and neither do his stats.

While his stats may not blow you away, the subtle nuances of his game will keep you entertained like the Styx guitarist of the same name.  Young is at his best using his long frame (6’11” wingspan) and left hand to create separation from his defender with ball fakes and jab steps to shoot over his man.  He already has a silky smooth step-back at his disposal and does a good job of leading his man off-balance to beat him with a crossover.  The shooting mechanics are pleasantly refined for a freshman, employing  a quick, high release that aids in offsetting his average athleticism.  He has all the tools to become a lights out shooter so undoubtedly scouts will hope he becomes more Michael Redd than Manu Ginobili in that department.  Another underrated facet of Young’s game is his body control when he does take it to the rim.  What athleticism he has is efficiently used to hang in the air and contort to create a shot with his favored left hand.

James’ warts stem a great deal from his averageness, especially his handles and quickness.  He shows a tendency to struggle with beating his man off the dribble due to a pedestrian first-step, which often leads to bad shot jacking if he gets caught in the air.  He outthinks around his man more than blowing by him but there is potential to improve.  His handles could be lower, especially in traffic but he seems to be aware of these shortcomings and doesn’t try to force things.  He is an NBA level athlete but not really a great leaper, relying more so on his good body control and long arms to throw down.  It is tough to discern where exactly his basketball IQ lies thanks to the general inexperience of Kentucky’s yearly crop of super recruits always quickly thrown together by John Calipari.  He generally plays within the offense but has a tendency to shoot a bit early in the clock or force some ill-advised heatchecks.

Overall there is more to like about Young’s old man game then there isn’t.  He will probably not be a player that comes in and produces right away for an NBA team unless he falls into just the right fit.  He is not a terribly quick defender and is probably more of a small forward than a shooting guard at the next level due to hiding him on defense, at least until he develops and adapts to NBA game speed.  But there is more potential here than many realize.  His frame is terrific and looks suitable for filling out with a professional strength training regimen.  His already innate smoothness and solid mechanics combined with an improved physique could be a formidable, starting caliber player.  It doesn’t take much imagination to envision a nightly mis-match type of scorer in the same vein as Joe Johnson and the obvious lefty comparison of Michael Redd.  The ability to create your own shot is always a coveted commodity on NBA rosters, especially with the dearth of elite SGs currently, and Young has the tools to fill that role.  The question is whether Young has enough IQ and ability to overcome perceived shortcomings and separate himself from other wings in this draft class.  James should stay in the consideration for top 3 SG/SFs in this draft when it is all said and done, barring a nosedive in performance or an awful display of athleticism at the combine.  With so much tantalizing talent in the top of the draft, Young is probably in the second tier of prospects, maybe cracking as high as 8th-10th pick with a floor around the 20th pick.  There are a lot of teams lacking in the SG department so his draft stock may become a bit inflated as the draft nears and he continues to play consistently.

NBA Comparison:  I’ll be lazy and say a bigger but slower Michael Redd.  Definitely not the same level of shooter but the potential is there, especially in regards to shot creating.