With the recent news that the Lakers will use their amnesty provision on fan favorite and now former starting small forward Metta World Peace, there is a gaping hole at the starting small forward spot. Although he might not have been their first option for the position, Nick Young looks to be in the driver seat to earn the nod.
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According to the Lakers Twitter account, General Manager Mitch Kupchack expects Young to play the small forward position.
Kupchak on Young: “We think there’s a lot of playing time here for him if he works hard. We see him playing at the small forward position.”
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) July 12, 2013
The announcement to bring Young on board happened on Thurday. The Lakers signed him to a one-year, $1.2 million contract, using one of their multiple veteran minimum contracts.
Young has been used as more of a reserve in his NBA career so far, but it is looking like the Lakers might be expecting a bigger role out of him, especially with the possibility of Kobe Bryant missing the first couple of months of the season. If the Lakers’ season started tomorrow the starting lineup would be: Steve Nash PG, Jodie Meeks SG, Nick Young SF, Jordan Hill PF, and Pau Gasol C. So until Kobe comes back, Young will be asked to score some points.
Last year, Young played for the Philadelphia 76ers in a reserve role where he averaged, 10.6 points, 2.2 rebounds and 23.9 minutes per game. It will be interesting to see what kind of numbers Young can put up in a starting role, not to mention playing in his own backyard being an alumni of USC.
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