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Thaddeus Young Blog
March 13, 2008
Against Detroit, I got my first taste of playing against a vet team that knows how to take advantage of mis-matches and rookies. They came my way four plays straight with me guarding a bigger, and stronger, Antonio McDyess! I picked up two fouls and had to sit the remainder of the first half. It was cool though - I just have get in the weight room! Oh yeah, we did pull out a win in Detroit; next stop - Chitown. We're going to see some hungry Bulls in the United Center! March 12, 2008 These past couple of games I feel like I have been going out there on the floor and playing some good basketball. Credit goes to my teammates, my coaches and you Philly fans! You guys are my new family, so thanks for adopting me! LOL! One of the reasons I have been playing so well is because of your support and the help of my teammates during games. You guys have been a big help to me and I thank you for that! We are on the road for the next two games against the D (Detroit) and then to Chitown (Chicago). These are two big match-ups for us and I'm going in treating them as must-win games. Talk to you soon. March 7, 2008 Sorry I haven't been writing any blogs lately you guys, but it was for a reason: I've been concentrating on helping our team make the playoffs after our good West Coast trip. But I am back and we got Seattle tonight and I am playing against my homeboy KD, Kevin Durant! Can't believe it sometimes, but we're the two youngest players in the league! We beat Seattle last time we played them now were looking forward to hold down our homecourt! See ya guys tonight and the rest of the season! January 29, 2008 I got my first NBA career start against the Bobcats on Saturday night and it was great! It was like a dream come true; to be able to run out there during intros and be one of those five to get your name called was one of the greatest feelings ever. I would do anything for that feeling again, but until then I am fine coming off the bench and do whatever it takes to help this team win. I am going to continue to go out and give my all to Philly and the Sixers! January 08, 2008 Hey everyone! We just came off a long west coast trip. It was like two weeks long, but felt more like it was two months long! The late night traveling and early morning practices can take a toll. I was so tired when we arrived in Philly - we arrived from Denver at 3:30am - that I slept like a baby when I got home! I didn't wake up until about 5:00pm the next day! Then I couldn't go to sleep until about 3:00am, so now I have to adjust to east coast time again. I must admit the west coast was great; even though we didn't win every game, we bonded and learned something new about each other on practically everyday. That was one of the best things we took from the trip! 
December 19, 2007 I never realized how long the NBA season really is until now. I talked to my fellow rookie teammate Jason Smith and he was saying the exact same thing. We both looked at the schedule and we were, like, "Wow!" We still have another two college seasons left to play this year. People probably expected us to hit "the rookie wall" but so far, we have both been holding up fine. We are in the best shape possible, we've been eating well and replenishing our bodies with energy to help us from game to game. Both Jason and I know that our team is going to need us throughout the season and down the stretch, so we have to stay healthy and ready to come in at any given time. Don't want to miss a beat! We are usually among the last ones leaving the gym because of treatment to keep us going strong on the court. Sometimes we think our trainers KJ (Kevin Johnson), and Scott (Faust) work miracles because they do such a good job of getting us prepared for the next game - Thank you guys for doing a great job! December 11, 2007 It is amazing how games can be changed in so many different ways in the NBA! Momentum can be shifted at any time and the players can impact the game in so many ways. I think I can be one of those players in the future; a game-changer, somebody who can come in and break another team’s momentum and build on ours. But it can't be done without a team, and playing as a team is the key to winning games in the NBA. Recently, we've been playing team defense, maintaining composure and then executing on the offensive end. Check back for another update soon! November 28, 2007 The last four games I have getting more and more playing time. I think the coaching staff is continuing to gain a lot of trust in me and my abilities. I think it has been because I have defined my role and where I fit in the rotation for this season. My role is to go out and be a spark on the defensive end for our team and I am expected to give my all on that end of the court to get guys a breather. I am not asked to just go out and score - I want to go out, play D and and rebound the basketball, which is a new role for me compared to high school and college. But this is a part of being a successful player and I am perfectly fine with that! November 26, 2007 We are 11 games into the season and I feel like I have been playing for a while! But I also feel so much more comfortable on the court now. I have been using practice as my games, going out there and using that time as if it was a game situation. It’s kinda weird, but that mentality has been getting me more and more playing time. I’ve been going out there and not only playing more, but playing with more confidence, too. Until next time … November 19, 2007 The season has just started but it seem like it had been long because I wasn't playing. I basically was sitting on the bench waiting for my opportunity to be a major contributor to the team. It seems as if I wasn't going to get that chance soon, but all I could do was wait and stay ready! Last week, my chance came against Portland Trail Blazers. Coach Cheeks called my name and gave me a few words to take into the game with me - I took that advice and played it back several times in my mind. Although we were down 25 points, I never gave up because anything can happen in this league! I cancelled everything out and just kept going hard trying to get my hands on every rebound. My teammates and I played with heart, confidence, and courage which spurred a major come back resulting and in a victory for us! This was by far one of the best moments in the league so far! October 26, 2007 This preseason has been a big learning experience for me, on and off the court. I am getting my first taste of traveling and being an NBA player. The major thing that has been a problem for me at first was adjusting to the late night flights on the team plane and then getting up that morning for practice. You definitely have to be a different breed to maintain your health and energy traveling eight to nine months during the year because it could definitely take its toll. I guess after doing it for a while I’ll get more used to it … of course, I have no choice but to get used to it! October 24, 2007 Life in the NBA has been great so far! This is by far the best job to have, but don't get me wrong: It is hard work day in and day out. You are competing for playing time, plus the respect of your team the coaches. You want to be that person the coach looks to on the bench and say I need you tonight because someone might not playing well. Another thing that comes with the job is networking. The NBA is the biggest fraternity in the world and we have the chance to meet a lot of high rollers. These might be the people who give you an opportunity after you're done playing basketball. I like to call it, "Negotiating your life after basketball." Keep checking back for more entries! October 7, 2007 My life as a rookie in the NBA has been great so far! The only thing I hate is that we have our rookie duties that must be done. We all have them as newcomers to the biggest fraternity in America, the NBA. On our team, the rookies are each assigned three veterans. My vets are Sam Dalembert, Louis Williams, and Rodney Carney, which I think is a pretty good group because they don't ask much of me! Just a few things here and there, such as paying for lunch, carrying their bags, running errands, getting towels and replenishing them with Gatorade! The craziest thing I had to do so far was sing happy birthday at team dinner to one of my teammates with Jason Smith, Derrick Byars, and Herbert Hill. The sad thing that it was Herbert's birthday, so he ended up singing to himself! It was so funny! I think my rookie season is going to be great! So far it has been a lot of kicks and laughs and I've been have been having a blast with my new teammates, and I love the Philly fans! Philly is truly the City of Brotherly Love! Oct. 5, 2007 My first impressions of my first training camp with my new teammates has been very eye-opening for me! I didn't realized how fast the game is played! I have always watched on TV and said, "Man, I can play with those guys; they are so slow!" Now that I am actually out playing with those guys, I see that this is completely different from high school and college! Training camp has been really up beat and intense! Its a whole different ball game. I mean, the coaches are yelling, reporters are writing, and the front office is watching! This is where you get your respect - especially being coming in from college after your freshmen year. So you really have to play your butt off or you'll be picking the splinters out! So be prepared to play at all times because this is for real! |
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