Resurgence of James Young Shows Boston’s Depth

With 15 points in the last two games, James Young has re-entered the consciousness of Celtics Nation.

Remember in the fall when Boston Celtics supporters were debating as to whether James Young deserved a role on the team?

Following his last two performances, any comparable murmurs have been put to rest. Young appears to have finally figured out his role on the team as an offensive scoring option off of the bench, and in this enlightenment he has earned himself some quality minutes down the stretch of consecutive victories.

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Young’s ability to step up and supplant scoring in appearances in the absence of backcourt mates Avery Bradley and Jaylen Brown signifies how deep this Boston squad truly is. After not receiving 15 minutes in a contest since November 12, Young showcased himself as an everyday rotation player would in Saturday night’s victory over the formidable Utah Jazz.

Immediately after entering the game, Young found his niche. He shot five three-pointers, hitting on two, while faring 4-of-7 from the field, admirable for someone who had not garnered more than two shot attempts in a contest since January 24. While he failed to affect the game in any other manner besides his 10 points and a personal foul, it did not matter.

Young played exactly the role that he needed to play in the midst of the victory. When he ran over to the scorer’s table with just over seven minutes remaining in the third period, the Celtics 12-point halftime advantage had dwindled to eight. Over the course of the quarter, Young piped in a jump-shot, a three-pointer, and a running layup, serving as a catalyst for Boston bolstering their lead to as much as 17.

Two nights later, Young heard his name called by head coach Brad Stevens once again, this time with Boston clinging to an 83-82 lead over the Dallas Mavericks with 21 seconds left in the third period. Young’s stint on the floor never ceased, as he earned the right to play for the entirety of a fourth quarter in which the Celtics dominated.

Young recorded an impressive +12 plus-minus rating in the appearance, once which included a crucial layup with four minutes remaining in the contest which pushed the Celtics’ lead to an insurmountable 102-92. In addition to his five points, Young also impacted the game in a variety of ways. He notched four rebounds while also pocketing a steal.

In the shoddy amount of playing time that he has been allocated this season, Young has been plenty efficient. Entering the season, his previous career-high in offensive rating was a lowly 99. In 2016-17, Young’s offensive rating has ballooned to 117 while he is shooting a career-best 45.5 percent from the field and 38.9 percent from three-point range.

Per 36 minutes, Young is posting personal bests of 12.1 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 1.2 steals while his 0.2 offensive win shares is the highest mark of his three-season career.

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Luckily for the Celtics, Young is not the only reserve who has showcased the ability to score in limited minutes. Shooting guard Gerald Green has cemented himself as the team’s resident microwave, scoring 10 points in 14 minutes in the win over Dallas. This came just one game after he netted 16 points in 23 minutes against the Jazz. With this duo of bench scorers, Boston does not need to worry about their backcourt depth heading into the All-Star break, regardless of who sees time on the injury report.