Thaddeus Young is having an All-Star caliber season despite the Sixers’ struggles.
When the NBA All-Star weekend takes place in New Orleans next month, many of the best players in the world will be participating.
That coveted list could include Sixers forward Thaddeus Young.
In fact, you can make an argument that the list should include Young.
The longest-tenured player on the Sixers is having a career year, averaging 17.3 points per game. It’s not just scoring. Young does so many little things that go unnoticed on a nightly basis.
Those intangibles are certainly noticed by first-year coach Brett Brown.
“I think you would have to,” Brown said of considering Young for an All-Star berth. “How about the job he did on (Knicks forward) Carmelo (Anthony) the other night and what he has done from the 3-point line and what he did on the West Coast trip and how he has strung some really good stretches together?
“He, along with Evan (Turner) and Spencer (Hawes), have carried the youngest team in the history of the NBA, so I say how can you not?”
The reserves for each conference will be named on Thursday.
Young has some stiff competition in the Eastern Conference and the Sixers only have 14 wins, which won’t help his cause.
But it’s hard to ignore how well Young has played on both ends of the court. He has been one of the most consistent players in the conference.
“Truthfully, my whole focus is on helping our team win ballgames,” said Young. “If my name comes up and I’m picked, of course I’ll be excited. Until that happens, I’m going to keep playing and keep performing like I have. We’re just taking each game one at a time and trying to win that game. If I find out I’m selected, I’ll be honored and happy. I can’t control things that are out of my control.”
The All-Star game will take place Feb. 16.
All Young can do is play hard and wait.
“That’s what I’ve always done, so it’s not going to be hard or anything like that,” Young said.
