Young comments on contract decision
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Young comments on contract decision
When yesterday's 5 p.m. deadline passed, that meant the 76ers had not worked out a contract extension with fourth-year forward Thaddeus Young. The decision makes Young a restricted free agent on July 1, 2011, and throws some uncertainty into the mix considering the looming renegotiation of the collective bargaining agreement.
A few minutes ago, Young issued this statement about the renegotiation process, and his focus going forward.
"I'm disappointed that we were not able to work out an extension," Young said in a statement. "I would love to be with the team long term, but I recognize that the uncertainty in next year's CBA has an effect on the team's approach to contract extensions. My focus now is to continue to work hard with my teammates and new coaches to help improve our team and win games. The fans deserve that."
Tonight at 7 p.m., the Sixers (0-3) play the Washington Wizards (0-2).
--Kate
Each week, Kate will check in from the road and answer fan questions about the Sixers. Click here to ask Kate a question or e-mail her at kfagan@phillynews.com.
Comments (20)
I guess the Sixers 'regressed' on an offer.— dpcoz
Good, Young was nothing more than an over hyped stiff the whole time he's been here. I'd take him as the 7th or 8th man on my team, he can only score when he's 5 feet from the basket (don't give me the "he. And why does everyone keep ripping Andre Iguodala for taking only 10 shots a game? Do you really want Iggy jacking up 30 shots? He can't shoot a lick. When Lou Williams is your best player, you've got problems.— brmorgen81- I believe Doug needs to find out about Thad in the first 40 games this season and to do so he needs to give him 30 minutes per game. If Thad will listen to Doug and apply the teachings, he can make great strides to getting back on track as a core player. If not, then Sixers can let him go without regret.— JBP
Comment removed.- Comment removed.
- @ JBP: I agree. Sixers will say they have to play to win but this year is a loss, let's be real. Young guys need to log heavy minutes to see what we got. If Thad is a 3, play Iggy at the 2 and keep both there for the season. Young simply looks lost and demoralized.
@ Kate: Love the new pic.— DennyP - Tank Sixers...and get more draft picks. Truth be told, Thad never got enough minutes and is a small forward who was made to play power forward a majority of the time.— clubberlang
- DP, he's not the only one. It's early, but it seems to me that Collins is looking to ride the veterans. Perhaps he's making a statement to some of the younger guys, hoping to light a fire, but Young has never been a guy who doesn't play hard. Collins wants us to believe that it'll take a long time before he finds his rotations, it's all just a "learning process." Yet he's giving minutes to Battie instead of Speights. Let's be real. Collins, like Jordan before him, is feeling the pressure to win and he seems to be wavering, playing hunches to win. But it's easy. Play your best young players as much as you can and spend this year evaluating. Don't worry about wins and losses so much as consistent play and effort at both ends. Battie, Songalia, Kapono, et al are just collecting paychecks, while Brand and Iggy are outright stealing their money. Holiday, Young, Speights, Turner, and Williams should be getting at least 25 minutes/night.— auntesther
I was under the impression that Young's best play came as a 4 but that comes with the price of having him matched with bigger players? Either way, I would think other teams would have a lot of interest in him.— srvdove- I like Thad's game a lot but unfortunately his best play was against Detroit in the playoffs his rookie year, he looked like a four who could get by his defender or a three who could overpower one, unfortunately he's never looked better than that. He never developed a consistent shot (nor has anoyone on this team in the last 3-5 years), he never became a solid rebounded (again like anyone on this team) and he never became a lockdown defender. A solid guy off the bench sure, but if your looking for a small forward that can do a little bit of everything, they're a dime a dozen in today's NBA, look at the Suns they have an entire roster of them. If Thad develops a game this year (IF!) then sure sign him back, but will we really miss him? Not at all.— ChunkyLover53
- @auntesther: Speights has been battling a hamstring injury since the end of the preseason. I was at the game last friday and after he came out after a few minutes in the first half you could see he just wasn't right. And he never got back on the floor.— Omorales510
- he peaked rookie year, they should have traded him then.— main liner
- why would you trade a player after a strong rookie year...how would the sixers have known that he "peaked"?— clubberlang
- While the idea of playing the younger players is appealing, Collins and Thorn are under pressure to get fannies in the seats and thus cannot simply evaluate talent all this season. I assume Thorn and Collins (Ed. who?) are already thinking trades. As the Young statement implies, of course, the real threat of a lockout next season, possible contraction, and a new CBA will make any moves far more complicated. For now, the Sixers really need to beat the Wizards tonight or attendance will fall below sea level for the next game here.— chuckw
- Chuckw, good point. This is clearly a decision the team is making because of the uncertainty of the collective bargaining agreement. I still can't tell where Thad's future is with this team. Nocioni winning the starting 3 spot doesn't bode well for him. Thad plays his best basketball in the open court and when shooting in rhythm, but struggles defending more athletic players and creating his own shot off the dribble. He reminds you a lot of a young Shawn Marion, a player that thrived in a system. I think if Thad was playing in an uptempo style, you would see the best of him.— Mattb
- Thad Young is not a small forward. Young is a power forward. In order to be a small forward, you have to be able to defend other SFs, you have to be able to put the ball on the floor and beat other SFs off the dribble, you have to be able to take more than 3 dribbles without looking at the ball or losing it trying to complete a move. Young can do these things as a PF, he's average to below average against the league's most athletic position. He's still growing, he needs to put on more weight, more muscle and be that athletic PF type, like a Josh Smith.— PhilaPhans
- PhilaPhans, agree fully.— JBP
- The question of Young's position and the style of play in which he would excel are made more difficult by the lack of a consistent style by this team, IMHO. They cannot play a consistent up-tempo style because of their mediocre defense and rebounding and lack of a polished pro point guard; they cannot play a consistent half-court offense because of a lack of quality shooters and lack of a polished pro point guard. They cannot really shut down opponents because they lack muscle underneath and have never learned how to play solid team defense, and they cannot simply outscore opponents because they cannot shoot the three with any consistency. They are an amalgam of disparate styles performed by a bevy of disparate parts. The roster needs to be transformed as much as the losing attitude of which Collins spoke recently. While some posters look at the trade of Dalembert as a mistake, the real losses were Andre Miller, Kyle Korver, and Reggie Evans, not all-stars, but perfect complementary players, particularly Miller. The toughest decisions for Thorn and Collins are 1. where to play Evan Turner and how many minutes per game to give him. 2. Is Holiday really the point guard of the future. 3. Should Iguodala be traded, and 4. Is Hawes really a starting center in the NBA. As for Young, he is a power forward, still with potential if given consistent coaching, but almost certainly will not be with the Sixers much longer. In order to keep fan interest in this franchise, Thorn will need to pull the trigger on a major deal, if possible. Otherwise, the Sixers will become an afterthought in Philadelphia, far behind the Phillies, Eagles, and, yes, even the Flyers. Just look at the huge outpouring by posters to the decision of the Phillies not to pay what Davey Lopes wanted as first base coach compared to the reactions on Sixer posts at any developments with the team. Same with Vick vs Kolb, McNabb's benching, or Briere's suspension. This is the reality facing Thorn.— chuckw
- Watching the game tonight it's apparent that the Sixers need to join another union, specifically the Bricklayers Union. I haven't watched a game in years and now I no why. They need to tank this season and next and then gear up for the following season. This team might win 20 games this year at best, mark it down.— Bill R4
- Wow, much better pic Kate ;) Thad is a good player. I'd bet the Sixers will match any offer he gets after July 1. Thad has done a very nice job hitting the mid-range jumper and his defense is improving.— incog69
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About this blog
John Mitchell is in his second year covering the 76ers for the Inquirer after joining the paper in November 2011. He covered the Washington Wizards for the Washington Times from 1998 to 2008. He's also worked at the Philadelphia Tribune, the Wilmington News Journal, Courier-Post, Trenton Times and Elmira Star-Gazette.Born and raised in West Philadelphia - not too far from Will Smith - he graduated from Overbrook High School the same year the 76ers won their last championship. He's a proud graduate of Howard University and the proud father of two sons, Jared and Jordan.
ABOUT MARC NARDUCCI
Marc Narducci has served in a variety of roles with the Inquirer since beginning in 1983. He has covered the 76ers as a backup and a beat writer. In addition, Narducci has covered everything from the Super Bowl to the World Series and a lot in between. Narducci also has a true passion for South Jersey scholastic sports, which he has covered for many years.
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