Warriors: Nick Young May Be an X-Factor in the Conference Finals
The Golden State Warriors are firing on all cylinders going into the Western Conference Finals against the Houston Rockets. The Warriors have rediscovered their defensive edge and with Stephen Curry back in the lineup, and the offense is flowing. There is one player that has been struggling in the postseason and his name is Nick Young.
Young was a key contributor during the regular season but he has been taken out of the rotation in the playoffs. Young is only averaging eight minutes and two points per game, but those numbers may increasw against the Rockets. Head coach Steve Kerr has stated that Young will have a role against Houston even though he has been non-existent in the postseason.
This seems like a curious move for Kerr to make since Quinn Cook has taken most of Young’s playing time. Klay Thompson will play even more minutes because he will be tasked with guarding both Chris Paul and James Harden in this series. But Young’s success against the Rockets during the regular season may be why Kerr thinks he will be able to contribute.
Young played his best basketball against Houston in the regular season, averaging almost 17 points per game, shooting 69 percent from the field and 68 percent on threes. Young had success against the Rockets because even though the numbers say that Houston has improved on defense, they still allow lots of open threes.
If Young gets enough minutes to be a factor, he will have plenty of opportunities to hit those shots. With Houston’s defensive focus on Kevin Durant, Curry, and Thompson, Young will get opportunities to succeed.
Young can also help the Warriors on defense. Young has struggled all season on defense with his lack of focus and losing his man on back cuts and coming off screens. Luckily for Young, the Rockets mainly play isolation ball and pick-and-roll basketball. According to ESPN, the Rockets were last in the NBA in total passes and off-ball screens per game and first in isolation plays.
More from Blue Man Hoop
- 3x champion may come to regret forgoing Golden State Warriors reunion
- Golden State Warriors: History shows USA may need Stephen Curry for more than the Olympics
- 7 players Golden State Warriors might replace Klay Thompson with by the trade deadline
- Golden State Warriors villain pours on more pain to end USA’s World Cup
- Golden State Warriors: Stephen Curry continues philanthropic efforts off the court
This means Young will not have to chase his opponent much, rather focusing his energy on his on-ball defense. If Young has a strength on defense, it is defending on-ball. Young’s greatest strength with his on-ball defense is his length. Young’s wingspan is 7’0”, much longer than his height of 6’7”, will affect his opponents’ shots.
When in the game, he will be switched on to Chris Paul, who is a magician with the ball. If Young can manage to keep Paul in front of him and remain focused, his length will be a problem.
The Warriors did not sign Young to defend. He signed here to hit open threes and score. If Young can hit his first two treys, he can get nearly as hot as Curry, Durant or Thompson. The Rockets know this first hand experiencing a Swaggy P hot streak on opening night.
But if Young misses his first couple treys, he will be ineffective. Young is a streak shooter and hopefully for the Warriors, he is streaking in the right direction.
If Young hits threes in this series, the Warriors will make quick work of the Rockets. They simply have too many weapons for the Rockets to defend. Adding Young to that mix makes the Warriors unguardable. Let’s hope we see the player from early in the season as opposed to the player who was kicked out of the rotation.