Much to Celtics fans dismay, James Young will once again be on the inactive list for Friday night’s game against Indiana. The argument for Young to play is simple: the Celtics aren’t going anywhere since they traded Rajon Rondo, so why not play the young guys now and begin to develop them? This is an argument that I support.
However, from Brad Stevens perspective, the decision is not an easy one. With the current makeup of the roster, Young receiving even 15 minutes a game would come at the expense of other players. Danny Ainge is still scouring the trade market in effort to get as much value as he can for the Celtics many pieces. Still, most Celtics fans don’t see benching a guy like Marcus Thornton as a problem. His contract expires at the end of the year, and he most likely will not be around for the long term. My theory on why Young is inactive is not because the Celtics want to showcase Thornton or any other player as a trade asset. Young is inactive because Brad Stevens thinks differently than the Celtics fan base.
Above all, Brad Stevens wants to win basketball games. While just about everyone has written the Celtics off as a team that has no chance of making the playoffs, Stevens has said on multiple occasions that the playoffs is the team’s goal and he believes it to be an obtainable one playing in the Eastern Conference.
Since the Rondo trade, Stevens has struggled to establish a consistent rotation of 10 guys to play every night. Having to incorporate three new players with limited practice time has visibly been a challenge for the young coach. The Celtics are 3-7 since the trade and most fans already have one foot out the door looking toward the offseason.
After the Celtics win at Brooklyn on Wednesday, it’s not difficult to see why Stevens sees this team a little differently. Having settled into a 10 man rotation, the Celtics played inspired basketball, especially on the defensive end and even though the point total wasn’t high, the Celtics missed a number of easy looks that are normally converted. Seeing the Celtics progress from allowing 109 points to the Nets the day after Christmas to just 81 points on Wednesday was encouraging. Yes, a win over Brooklyn is not all that impressive, but these are the types of teams the Celtics are competing with for playoff spots: The Nets, who are, by any standard, a mess. The Pacers, whose leading scorer is C.J. Miles, a guy who comes off the bench. The Heat, who are one Wade injury away from the lottery, and the Magic and Pistons, who, despite flashes of brilliance, are rebuilding just like the Celtics.
If you were to seed playoff teams in the East by point differential, the Celtics -1 differential on the season would be good enough for the 7th seed. Right now, Stevens still believes his team has a shot at the playoffs even if you and I don’t and, to be honest, the argument isn’t all that crazy.
Why James Young is Inactive
Young is inactive because Brad Stevens feels that the 13 guys dressing give him and his team the best chance to win, and coming off of the win against Brooklyn in which his team showed great improvement, it’s difficult to argue against the decision.
Looking at the 13 active players, Young would be candidate to replace two, either Marcus Thornton or Gerald Wallace.
First, let’s take a look at the Gerald Wallace situation. Wallace, for all intents and purposes, is the Celtics 13th man. He won’t play unless the Celtics need a crazy inbound pass at the end of the game or if the team is lacking energy to the point where Brad Stevens decides to play musical chairs with his bench. Replacing Wallace with Young does not put Young into the rotation, it simply takes him out of street clothes and puts him into a jersey, while bumping the veteran Wallace to the inactive list. Maybe Stevens is showing loyalty to Wallace, a veteran who acts as a mentor and coach on the bench, but it is just as likely that Wallace’s role as a situational player outweighs that of Young. That’s obviously not to say that Wallace is a better player than Young, but if the Celtics need a miracle play at the end of the game, Wallace has proven capable to make some ridiculous inbounds passes.
The real argument here is James Young or Marcus Thornton. In our minds, the answer is easy: Play Young, Thornton will not be around long term. For Brad Stevens, the decision is a difficult one. In the end, Stevens trusts Thornton as a veteran who has proven he can come off the bench and give his team a lift over the rookie Young. Young’s shooting is his primary asset at this point, but Thornton is shooting 42% from 3-point range himself. Stevens trust in Thornton as a veteran gives him the slight nod over the more talented Young, especially coming off a game in which Stevens rotations and lineups finally clicked. When breaking the argument down to who gives the team a better chance to win, I still believe it’s Young, but i can also see the argument for Thornton. It’s a toss up, and Stevens has decided to go with the veteran.
Listen, I am a huge James Young fan, but I also admire Stevens’ commitment to winning games and creating a winning culture. Even if no one else believes the Celtics have any shot at the postseason, Stevens believes in his guys. Stevens is also making it clear to guys like Young and Marcus Smart that while they may be talented, they are going to have to earn every minute of playing time. Placing Young on the inactive list was surely a difficult decision, and I don’t expect him to remain there for long. The Celtics are likely to make a trade to clear some playing time for the rookie, and if he continues to progress the way he has thus far, I could see him earning some quality minutes soon enough. Young even has the potential to outplay a guy like Marcus Thornton, but Stevens does not believe that’s the case quite yet.
While I fully support the #FreeJamesYoung campaign, leaving him as an inactive for a few games in January does not concern me. Young is only 19, meaning a few games in his rookie season may not even be as beneficial as the individual workout or extra film session he gets because he’s inactive. From the perspective of the entire Celtics organization, the Celtics will definitely need to make room for Young to get some serious run in the near future, and I think they will. But from a coach’s perspective, I get where Brad Stevens is coming from.
If Brad Stevens believes Marcus Thornton gives the team a better chance to win, I trust him, even if I personally disagree. Establishing a culture in which winning is prioritized will benefit this young team in the long run. While tonight’s game will be slightly less exciting to watch, a Celtics win puts them a game out of the 8th seed.
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