James Young is starting to mature, focused on being a team player for Celtics

I'll come right out and say it.  I've been disappointed in James Young's progress thus far in his career.  Fair or not, I had higher expectations for him. With that said, there's always been an asterisk with him.

He's just SO young.  He just turned 20 this summer.  Think about that for a moment.  When I ponder how I was acting at age 19, I shudder to think how I'd be weighed and measured by some random blogger.

So it can't be any surprise to hear him talk about becoming more mature.

Celtics' James Young believes he's ready to succeed | Boston Herald

Young admits he didn’t always have things in proper alignment last season, and there was regular word filtering through that he wasn’t working as hard as needed. But while being 19 cannot serve as an absolute excuse, it is at the very least a tool for understanding some of the difficulties. "Last year, I just wasn’t thinking straight about the game," Young said. "Now, I feel like I’m by that and I can just play my game."

Go read Bulpett's article for the rest of the quotes.  It is nice to hear him talking about being a team-focused player.  Clearly the message that Brad Stevens and the staff is sending him is getting through.  They've praised him this preseason for focusing his efforts better on defense.

He's still got plenty of room to grow and he's got competition now.  In fact, I would put rookie R.J. Hunter well ahead of Young on the development curve.  But Young has talent and he's got a great (potential) jumpshot, so if he stays focused and works hard at his craft, he'll find himself a place in this league, and maybe into the Celtics rotation sooner or later.