Earlier this week, former Los Angeles Lakers star Nick Young made a guest appearance on the Gil’s Arena podcast and discussed his ex-team’s offensive struggles with the crew. Podcast host and retired NBA star Gibert Arenas claimed the Lakers’ players outside of LeBron James and Anthony Davis need to pull their weight on the offensive end. He added that they had to do much better in what they had been assigned to do, whether it was shooting the ball from beyond the arc or attacking the rim.
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Arenas recalled that during their time together on the Washington Wizards, he pushed Young to take more shots than usual in a game against Dwyane Wade and the Miami Heat in 2009. He said:
“We playing [against] Miami. I had to tell [Young], ‘We got D-Wade. We need you to shoot the ball. Every time I call your number, you shoot it on him.’ We gotta guard him on defense. We gotta get him tired some way. If D-Wade take 20 shots, you take 20 shots. I need to you equal this motherf***er.”
Arenas’s demand worked as the Wizards would go on to beat the Heat 94-84 in the matchup Arenas was alluding to. Young attempted 23 shots and scored 22 points, while Wade took 19 and mustered only 18 points, despite being an offensive juggernaut.
Arenas claimed that James, Davis, and the Lakers’ coaching staff should be more ruthless. Anyone not pulling their weight shouldn’t even bother dressing up to play. He explained that the Lakers’ role players aren’t doing enough to aid the team’s two superstars on the offensive end, which is why the team is just .500 almost halfway into the regular season.
Gilbert Arenas is right. James and Davis are averaging 50.8 points combined, while the three other starters and three key rotational players are averaging 73.6 points combined. That’s not enough offensive production for the team to venture deep into the playoffs, let alone win a championship.
Gilbert Arenas and Nick Young’s friendship
Arenas and Young spent three seasons together as teammates on the Wizards from 2007 to 2010. Due to this, they formed an unbreakable bond that lives on to this day. However, Arenas doesn’t believe he was a good influence on the Young during their time together as teammates. On the Road Trippin’ Show, host Allie Clifton asked the retired star if he was proud of having Young as a protege. Arenas nearly choked on his drink before saying:
“Hell no, I’m not proud of him as a vet.”
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However, Arenas explained that he failed to be a good role model for Young because he was dealing with his problems at that time and couldn’t be a good mentor. Regardless, Young enjoyed an 11-year career at the highest level where he played for six franchises (Washington Wizards, Los Angeles Lakers, Philadelphia 76ers, Los Angeles Clippers, Golden State Warriors, and Denver Nuggets). He even won an NBA championship during his time in San Francisco, an honor most NBA players can only dream of boasting about.
