Nick Young made his season debut tonight, scoring 17 points and making 2-of-4 3-pointers.
And the Lakers won!
The Lakers, who were 1-9 before Young’s return from injury, looked completely different with him back in the lineup. That was probably more coincidental than anything, but Swaggy P is not one to deflect credit.
Safe to say, Young was feeling pretty good about himself.
Really good.
Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News
Nick Young says he's the best 3 point shooter. What about Larry Bird? Nick says he's in top five
— Mark Medina (@MarkG_Medina) November 19, 2014
Nick Young's top 5 3-point shooter list 1. Himself 2. Ray Allen 3. Reggie Miller 4. Either Steph Curry/Klay Thompson 5. Larry Bird
— Mark Medina (@MarkG_Medina) November 19, 2014
First of all, if Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson are tied for fourth, that means Larry Bird is not in the top five. But Young omitting Bird from the top five is heck of a lot more sensible than putting himself first.
Young has made more 3-pointers per game and shot a higher 3-point percentage than Bird. Everyone else has Young trumped in both categories.
| Player | 3P/G | 3P% |
| Nick Young | 1.2 | 37.7 |
| Ray Allen | 2.3 | 40.0 |
| Reggie Miller | 1.8 | 39.5 |
| Stephen Curry | 2.7 | 43.8 |
| Klay Thompson | 2.4 | 41.3 |
| Larry Bird | 0.7 | 37.6 |
Bird grew up before the 3-pointer existed, and the NBA was slow to adjust to the shot. Bird was ahead of his time, but his 3-point shooting doesn’t hold up to modern comparisons.
But how does Young rank himself ahead of Allen, Miller, Curry and Thompson – each of whom shot 3s better by percentage and volume?
No matter where Swaggy P ranks as a shooter, his self-confidence can’t be doubted.