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Nick Young had a fairly inconsistent start to the season, but he has settled in as the sixth man for the Los Angeles Lakers recently. After his performance against the Miami Heat on Christmas Day (20 points, two rebounds, one assist), he is averaging 18.7 points and 2.9 rebounds per game over the last nine games with at least six three-point attempts in six straight games.
Kobe Bryant missed the start of the season as he worked his way back from an Achilles’ injury, and after playing just six games he is now expected to be sidelined until February with a fracture in his left knee. That should create opportunity for others to produce in his absence, and to this point Young has fit that bill. Should fantasy basketball owners consider adding him?
Young has attempted at least 14 shots in four straight games, as the Lakers don’t have a lot of other scoring options with Bryant out again. He has made just over 40 percent (27-for-67) of his shots in those four contests, including 11-for-25 (44 percent) from three-point range.
While Bryant is out Young should continue to be in a position to take plenty of shots, and with his fantasy value resting solely on his scoring that is good news for his ability to maintain solid value even if he goes through a shooting slump. It’s anyone guess how effective Bryant will be once he returns to action, assuming he does indeed return this season, but Young should maintain his role as sixth man regardless or how Bryant is playing.
This would actually be a good time to consider trading Young at the peak of his value if you’ve added him already and have benefited from his recent production. He is available in 47 percent of Yahoo! leagues right now, but any owner that wants to add him may have to act quickly since Young’s ownership percentage looks likely to rise a fair amount in the near future.
Brad Berreman is a contributing writer at Rant Sports.com. Follow him on Twitter @bradberreman24.
