Feb 23, 2015; Denver, CO, USA; Brooklyn Nets forward Thaddeus Young (30) during the game against the Denver Nuggets at Pepsi Center. Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports
2. Thaddeus Young
Young gives the Nets a viable weapon at power forward. Compared to most power forwards of the league, Young is arguably the most versatile and athletic. When thinking of athletic power forwards, players such as Blake Griffin, Anthony Davis, and Kenneth Faried.
Young isn’t the type of stretch 4 that will kill a team from outside, but he did shoot a career-high 38 percent from three after being traded to Brooklyn. One thing that makes Young one of the best options at stretch 4 is because of his ability to defend on the perimeter. This gives the Nets the option of switching on pick-and-roll situations, which most teams cannot afford to do due to lack of lateral quickness from their power forward.
This upcoming season, expect Young to take on more aggression on the offensive end when it comes to scoring. He is most effective taking his defender off the dribble. Last season he shot from 10 feet or less 67.3 percent of the time.
The power forward position is similar to point guard for the Nets in that there isn’t a lot of quality depth behind Young. Young will be depended upon heavily and expected to play a lot of minutes. If his production can improve even a little from last season, the Nets will be a difficult match up for much of the league.
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