Pacers' Joe Young pesters coach, veterans to learn

Since being drafted by the Indiana Pacers, Joe Young has saturated himself in the syllabus of How To Be An NBA Point Guard. He has quizzed Paul George on the process of growing as a pro, parked himself next to George Hill in the newly renovated locker room and badgered coach Frank Vogel for morning and afternoon personal video sessions. Every practice turns into a lesson, and those lessons then get written on a bulletin board in his home, waiting to be dissected when he wakes up at 6:30 every morning.

“Just doing the things that rookies normally don’t do,” Young explains. “They teach me things every day … and I listen.”

The Pacers can tell Young has been paying attention. Through two preseason games, Young has played as the backup point guard – a role unmistakably shown Tuesday against the Detroit Pistons when he jumped in with the first unit after Hill sprained an ankle and could not play through the second half. Young finished with 18 points and helped secure the win by making 6-of-6 free throws in the fourth quarter.

“Strong performance,” Vogel said. “Got a lot to learn. Made a lot of mistakes, a lot of rookie mistakes that he’s eager to watch tape on and learn about and get better at. But played with a lot of guts.”

A scorer by nature, Young starred as the Pac-12 Player of the Year by averaging a conference-best 19.8 points per game his senior year at Oregon. While the Pacers want Young at his aggressive peak – and putting up the second-most shot attempts through two games speaks to that – he also must learn to make plays for others. A daunting challenge when the NBA game can come at a rookie so fast.

On Tuesday night, Young threw a misguided pass that popped George on his rear end; one of his eight turnovers through two preseason games. Also, Young may have earned a reputation for his speed in college, but those flashes of daylight in the paint vanish quickly in the pros. At times, Young has pulled the emergency brake before attacking the lane and settled for jump shots, though his selection wasn’t much of a problem against the Pistons; he made 5-of-10 shots.

“He’s fast, he’s very fast, but he’s got to be deceptive with it now,” George said. “We’re bringing in our rookies not to just be here as pieces for the future. They’ve got to learn on the fly and they’ve got to be ready when their time is called.”

Hence, Young needs every lesson he can get.

“He’s a solid, solid guard,” said Hill, who chose a prime center spot in the team locker room and wanted the rookie to his right. “The thing is, he’s willing to learn, willing to get better. Anytime you’ve got a rookie who comes in and soaks up things like a sponge and (is) willing to put in the work, the progress and the work are going to show.”

It’s common for NBA players to break down game footage, but Young may hold the standard for the studying habits of rookies. When Young reveals his typical day, he sounds like a basketball hermit: At home, he’s going over plays – to the point that Young, an avid reader, has had to shelve his latest interest, the science fiction novel entitled “The Deep.” When he’s not at home, Young is at the practice facility.

In his own career, Vogel emerged from the film room to the head of an NBA bench, so no one inside Bankers Life Fieldhouse can top his voraciousness in watching video – but Young is trying.

“He’s bugging me to death every day about trying to get in,” Vogel joked about Young’s request for one-on-one video sessions. “ ‘Let me spend some time with you, Coach!’ 'What do you see?' '(If) we can’t do it now, when can we do it next?’

“He’s very, very eager,” Vogel continued. “It’s a welcomed, refreshing attitude that he has.”

Young watches so much film that nothing escapes him. Not even a passing comment made by the play-by-play announcer of the Detroit Pistons home broadcasts.

“Little Joe Young to full court. Listed at 6-2.”

“I heard it on the film and I was watching it. That had to be a mistake,” Young said about a second-quarter line he heard while watching the game. “You know, you (have to) take it how they say it. You’re a rookie. You’ve got to go through things.”

Especially things like rookie duties.

Before the team flew to Michigan, Young had to hurry out to Long’s Bakery. Seems a veteran wanted donuts for the plane ride. But unlike fellow rookie 19-year-old Myles Turner, who earlier made that trip and was unaware that the long-standing pastry shop is cash only and had to let a patron pay his bill, Young knew to bring money. See, this rookie listens.

“I had cash,” Young beamed. “I learned.”

Injury update

While George Hill (sprained ankle) put up shots Wednesday, he did not participate fully in practice. Though Hill said the ankle is “feeling a little better” but “stiff,” his status remains unclear for the Pacers’ Thursday night preseason game against the Orlando Magic (7 p.m.).

“I hope so,” Vogel responded when asked if Hill will play, “but we don’t know yet.”

The Pacers’ wing depth will take a hit as Chase Budinger (hamstring) will sit out his third straight game and Solomon Hill will also miss the game after spraining his ankle against the Pistons.

Pacers sign Kadeem Jack

The Pacers added a player to the training camp roster on Wednesday. Kadeem Jack, a 6-9, 235-pound forward out of Rutgers, signed with the team but is expected to join the NBA Development League affiliate Fort Wayne Mad Ants.

“This is really a developmental league move,” Vogel said. “ Someone who (the Pacers) wanted to get his rights so we sign him now.

“(The Pacers) can summon (Jack) into camp if we need him, but it’s really for the Mad Ants.”

Call Star reporter Candace Buckner at (317) 444-6121. Follow her on Twitter: @CandaceDBuckner.