Cheeks likes what he sees in Sixers' Young

During one third-quarter possession in last night's 81-73 win over the Lakers, Thaddeus Young caught the ball on the block.

"Go to work, Thad," Cheeks said from his seat in the stands. "Go to work."

Through the first four days of the NBA Summer League - held at the Thomas & Mack Center on the University of Nevada, Las Vegas campus - Young seems to be doing just that.

He finished with 16 points last night and is averaging 21.7 through three games.

One NBA representative noted that Young was one of the top three players in the 21-team, 10-day league.

Cheeks said Young still was trying to adapt to the small-forward position. As a rookie last season, Young scored 8.2 points per game at power forward, but last week's free-agent signing of two-time all-star power forward Elton Brand means Young will shift positions.

Brand's addition and Young's subsequent shift also affect restricted free agent Andre Iguodala. If Iguodala returns to the Sixers, he most likely will move to shooting guard.

A source close to Iguodala said that the team and Iguodala's agent would meet in Las Vegas in the next few days, and that the Sixers asked Iguodala to delay his negotiations so the organization could close the Brand deal.

Iguodala averaged 19.9 points per game last season. His status as a restricted free agent means the Sixers can match another team's offer. Last summer, Iguodala rejected the Sixers' offer of a five-year, $57 million contract extension.

In Vegas, Young is joined in the frontcourt by power forward Marreese Speights, the team's first-round draft pick (16th overall), and center Jason Smith, a second-year player.

Cheeks said Young was doing what is needed from a small forward: putting the ball on the floor, shooting pull-up jumpers, roaming the perimeter.

"He's doing the things we asked him to do," Cheeks said. "He had to improve on ballhandling. You can't play that spot without being able to handle the ball."

Because of the switch, Cheeks said Young had turned the ball over more than usual, although the coach isn't worried.

When the 76ers drafted Speights, he came with questions about his work ethic. Cheeks said if Speights has been a surprise in any regard, it would be with his athleticism.

"He's a better athlete than we thought he was," Cheeks said. "People talked about him being lazy, but he's so active on the court."