The Growl

Almost everyone can agree that drafting swingman Sam Young at pick 36 was a steal.  He was projected to go in the first round and just kept dropping.  There was another player of interest on the board at that time and many fans believe was an even bigger steal.  That player is Dejuan Blair, and most think he dropped because his ACL's have the durability of Yao's feet.  Once again the Spurs were able to add some value as they eventually landed Blair.  Both players had great Las Vegas summer league showings.  That has everyone antsy to see if Young can contribute in a big way this season for the Grizzlies.  I figured it would be nice to take an in depth look at Young to see what we can expect in the 09 season.
 
The History - Let's start with what Young did in college.  Are we going to see these statistics transfer to the next level?  In his senior season at Pitt he put up 19.2 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 1.1 apg, 1.0 spg, and .8 bpg.  Putting these numbers up in the most competitive conference (Big East) was very impressive.  But, will those statistics translate to effective bench play and numbers in the NBA.  We can't be so sure that they will, but it does not hurt that the majority of his scoring came from his ability to catch and shoot.  He showcased this talent often in summer league when he was able to drop 13.6 ppg and pulled 4.2 rpg.  A majority of those points came from hitting jumpers and taking it to the rack.  Young was 2 of 4 from behind the arc in summer league, but he shot 37.2% from that distance in college.

Intangibles - Young is a superb athlete with a good NBA body.  He has a great wingspan and at 6'6 he has good size for a shooting guard.   He will be a nice change as a defender when he gives Mayo a break.  His ability to lock down players in college came from his athleticism, body type, and pure grittiness.  Those are three things that Young will bring to the table day one.  The toughness and hustle is something the Grizzlies front office and fans craved.  Draft night was a start at getting that addressed when they selected Young and Carroll.

What He Needs To Work On - He needs to improve his shooting range.  We need someone that can come off the bench and shoot the rock.  The 3 point shooting off the bench is as reliable as Lindsey Lohan showing up on set on time and sober.  Young has the opportunity to be the scorer in that group if he can hit the shots off the drive and kicks and when the bigs pass it out to him.  He also needs to address his ball handling skills.  They are not terrible, but in order for him to be a threat off the dribble and in transition they need to be improved.

What To Expect - Can we expect Young to put up 15 ppg?  Occasionally, yes.  I expect his average to be around 9 a game this season.  The main thing I am looking for this season is his defense.  If he can come in and be a lock down defender on the perimeter he is going to be a key asset.  Some fans see him as our 6th man.  I could see this happening from time to time, but I would suspect that Thabeet will be that player.  Maybe, just maybe we will see Young get some time at shooting guard on the first team while Mayo is running the point.

I am interested to see if Young can make an immediate impact for the Grizzlies.  He has a great opportunity to be the leader of the reserve group and contribute heavily.  I am excited that we were able to snag a player in the second round that we can even consider contributing immediately.  Then again, the bench depth goes about as deep as the Grizzlies' fanbase, and whoever we would have drafted may have contributed immediately.