Swaggy P is always going to do what he wants.
It's taking Los Angeles Lakers head coach Byron Scott a really long time to figure that out, realize he can't change it and embrace it.
Nick Young returned Wednesday from a three-and-a-half game absence due to a combination of an ankle injury and Scott's decision not to use him. Young scored 16 points but the Lakers lost, which is basically the story of their season.
While player and coach may have smoothed over any lingering resentment from the benching, Scott went right back to asking Young to change.
"You can't be a one-trick pony," Scott said. "You have to play on both ends of the floor and he can be a much better basketball player than what he is on both ends. He's shown he can play defense when he wants to. It's just all the little things."
Scott's frustration is certainly understandable. Young is quick and athletic and has good size for the two. He should be able to play some semblance of defense, and his scoring ability should open up chances to facilitate for others. Neither of those things happen.
Young responded by only half-acknowledging Scott's request.
"Obviously they brought me here to put the ball in the hole," Young said. "But I've got to learn the ins and outs. We've all got to be dogs out there howling at the moon."
This act is getting tired, and has been an ongoing discussion for far too long:
- Nov. 25: Scott tries to force-feed Young out of shooting slump, the most Swaggy P of remedies. He shoots 4-of-14.
- Jan. 10: Still ice cold, Young says he just needs a hug and that he'll "stick to doing what Swaggy P do."
- Jan. 12: Scott asks Young to do something other than score, Young responds by saying he needs to just play his game and have fun.
- Jan. 17: After Young says "shooters keep shooting" and that the basketball gods told him to keep playing his way, Scott pleads with Young to listen to him over the gods.
| Swaggy Please | Young | Season Rank (/270) |
|---|---|---|
| Pts/36 | 21.1 | 24 |
| TS% | 53.5% | 136 |
| PER | 15.4 | 109 |
| Rb% | 5.3% | 233 |
| Ast% | 6.7% | 223 |
| Def Real +/- | -1.42 | 369 (/468) |
Were the Lakers a better team with designs of grabbing a playoff spot, expecting Young to change his ways would be reasonable. But they're not, and Young is who he is for the time being.
That's not fair to Scott and it's not the most professional approach from Young, but it's reality. This isn't new. The Lakers knew this when they gave Young a four-year, $21-million contract this offseason. Scott's been trying to get Young to change for most of the season, but Young has held steadfast in his singular game.
He's always going to stick to doing what Swaggy P do.
