Nick Young has been in the midst of an awful shooting slump over the last week as he has shot 33 percent or less in each of the last five games. Things didn’t get better against the Blazers as Young scored only nine points on 3-11 from the field.
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After the Los Angeles Lakers loss to the Portland Trail Blazers, Byron Scott spoke about Young’s reactions to each missed shot according to Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times:
Byron wants more from Nick Young than animated agony after missed shots. "Every shot that he misses, it's like the end of the world to him."
— Mike Bresnahan (@Mike_Bresnahan) January 12, 2015
Scott also suggested that Young focus on other aspects of the game as he works to get out of his recent slump according to Lakers Nation reporter Serena Winters:
Byron Scott on Young: "You've got to be able to do other things on the court. You've just go to do other things to get yourself involved."
— Serena Winters (@SerenaWinters) January 12, 2015
The Lakers rely on Young’s scoring ability as he is the team’s best shot creator outside of Kobe Bryant. With Kobe resting a lot recently and likely to continue to do so for the remainder of the season, the Lakers need Young to get out of this slump.
Scott makes a good point that Young could afford to focus on other aspects. Attacking the basket when his shot is off would help, and he has shown flashes of improved defense. Even if his shot isn’t falling, Young must still make an impact when he is on the floor.
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