Nick Young Trying To Change Perceptions

Once you get a reputation in the NBA, it is very difficult to change it. Reporters and broadcasters will hammer that reputation down for their neat little stories. Coaches and general managers do not have the time to watch game tape or be around the player long enough to change perceptions. When a player with a bad reputation hits the market it stays with them -- see the story of Rashad McCants. This becomes especially tough for a young player forced into a situation he probably should not be in, stunting his growth in other areas. That is the situation Nick Young finds himself in as he prepares to hit free agency for the first time and plays out a contract year. Young is probably most known throughout the league as a high-volume shooter for a losing franchise. That is the perception that he is carrying around with him. With career averages of 9.5 field goal attempts per game and 11.1 points per game to go with a career 48.3 percent effective field goal percentage, 23.5 percent us...