NEWSLETTER
“You guys better not get rid of my vet!” – Zach LaVine (probably).
During an appearance on the Road Trippin’ Show, which is co-hosted by former players Channing Frye and Richard Jefferson, Thaddeus Young (aka LaVine’s bestie) was asked which player he would pick in a 2 v. 2 battle with the rest of the league. His answer should surprise no one.
“I mean, sh*t, I play with him now: Zach,” Young said. “Zach is a phenomenal scorer. He [is] different. There is no stopping him from scoring. He is going to get his 20-25. It’s just a matter of him taking the next step defensively. He’s just got to become a two-way player. He’s working at it, becoming a two-way player. Billy pushes him; I’m pushing him. But as far as scoring bucket for bucket, he can get to it, and make them at a high rate, like a high clip. It’s crazy.”
Man, no one quite has LaVine’s back like Young.
The two players have held a friendship ever since LaVine came into the league with the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2014, and this season we learned just how tight that friendship really was. LaVine called Young the MVP of the team, while Young consistently praised LaVine’s breakout performance. The 14-year veteran was also included on the surprise zoom call to celebrate LaVine’s first All-Star nod.
While business is business, and we can’t eliminate the idea of the Bulls moving on from Young this offseason, it is hard to see them easily getting rid of someone so close to their star player. He continues to be the perfect hype man as LaVine begins his ascent up the league’s player ranking. And it certainly doesn’t hurt that the two seem to fit quite well together on the court. The pairing of Young and LaVine had a +6.9 (NICE) while on the court this season, according to Basketball-Reference’s lineup data, which was easily the best two-man combo this season.
Anyway, for a link to the whole podcast, and the snippet of Young’s comments on LaVine, make sure to check out the link below:
https://twitter.com/RoadTrippinPod/status/1400884859833253890?s=20
