Lakers lost 9 of their last 10 games in a serious decline of performance after a strong start. This makes speculation about Nick Young’s trade re-appear following his unimpressive stats.
Young was back from calf injury in the Dec.12 loss against Sacramento Kings, which he only scored 8 points. Afterward his game improved, with 14 points against the Nets, 15 points against the Philadelphia 76ers and the highest 32 points in a 108-119 loss against Cleveland Cavaliers.
However the Lakers continued their losing streak even after the return of the 31-year old shooting guard. Since his return, Los Angeles Lakers only won 1 out of 4 games which signifies a major setback for their promising start. Following the declining performance of the team, according to Bleacher Report, rumor about Young’s trade circulated.
One of the reason is the value. Young is only valuable as a scorer, as he doesn’t perform well in other category due to his selfish nature. His value diminish when his scoring percentage dropped.
While for the current roster, Lakers have plenty of fascinating scorers. They already have Lou Williams, D’Angelo Russel, Jordan Clarkson and Julius Randle who have been able to be more than just prolific scorers. They are also good rebounders and able to pass the assist for the teammate who is open, unlike Young.
In their last game on Tuesday night Dec. 20 against the Charlotte Hornets, this indication clearly showed. Young was able to post 24 points and 2 rebounds, while his substitute scored 25 points, 3 rebounds and 5 assists. The Hornets defeated the Lakers 117-113 in the game.
According to Los Angeles Times, Lakers problem lies in their defense. They have a 19-points lead in the game, but when the Hornets tightened their defense, Lakers scoring halted. As they only have Randle who is a good defender.
One consideration for the Lakers to trade Young is to seek for the defensive-oriented shooting guard. However, the Lakers management is still considering the option, because Young is also a good clutch players. One of his clutch performance is to score a game winning 3-pointer against the Thunder on Nov. 22 below:
