James Young 'Week-To-Week' After Tweaking Hamstring
BOSTON (CBS) -- Sometimes for rookies in the NBA, it is better to be seen than heard.
But in James Young's case, the Boston Celtics are wishing the rookie swingman spoke up.
Young tweaked his hamstring ahead of Boston's preseason opener on Monday, saying he heard "a few pops" during his pregame stretch. But out of fear that it would have kept him out of his first NBA action, Young didn't tell anyone. Not his coach Brad Stevens, not his teammates, and most importantly, not trainer Ed Lacerte.
Instead, he played 20 minutes and scored 10 points in the Celtics' win over the 76ers, but in doing so, made the injury worse.
"I just wanted to go out there and play. I didn't really feel it until the second half. During halftime I put some heat on it and kept playing. I was just going off adrenaline, so I really didn't feel it," Young told The Boston Herald on Wednesday night, as the C's prepared for their second preseason game against the New York Knicks in Hartford. "The next day when I woke up, that's when I really felt it and had to ice it. It was really stiff, sore. I couldn't walk that much. It was hard to extend my leg."
It's unknown how long the injury will sideline the 19-year-old rookie, but it doesn't sound very good.
"He's probably more week-to-week than day-to-day," Stevens said prior to Boston's 106-86 win over New York. "Hopefully (it's) a good lesson for him and us. He needs to communicate that ASAP if he thinks something is not feeling right."
The message from the team has already gotten through to Young, who the Celtics drafted 17th overall in Junes's draft.
"I'm still learning. I guess I should have talked to Ed (Lacerte) right away as soon as it happened, but I'm still learning," he said.
It's a disappointing start for a promising rookie, but at least he's learned his lesson.
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