The Good: Just about everything. Young has been the Bulls’ second-best player all season, anchoring his minutes with masterful short-roll playmaking on offense, and active hands and positional savviness (with 13, he’s third in the NBA in charges drawn) on defense.
Did you know Bulls players are shooting a collective 43.2 percent on 3s off passes from Young? Or that his 65.1 percent shooting on post ups is second in the NBA among those posting up more than twice per game? His averages of 12.1 points, 5.9 rebounds, 4.4 assists (career-high) and 1.4 steals are coming in just 25.3 minutes. His veteran presence is aiding the development of LaVine, Carter and Williams, among others, in real time. And it’s easy to forget he missed all of preseason -- and the first four games of the regular season -- with a leg infection.
The Bad: That Donovan can’t run him 48 minutes every night. And his surge has planted him in trade rumors as the deadline approaches. If those were to come to fruition, it would be a death knell to the Bulls’ playoff hopes.
The Stat That Stands Out: Since Young debuted on Dec. 31, 2020...
Bulls with Zach LaVine and Young on the floor: 121.3 offensive rating, 112.7 defensive rating, +8.6 net rating
Bulls with LaVine on and Young off: 107.1 offensive rating, 116.6 defensive rating, -9.5 net rating
All of which is to say, Young has been integral to the Bulls’ relative success, but especially for LaVine as a release valve to pass to out of double-teams.
The Arrow: To The Moon.