Thaddeus Young Out for the Season

Thaddeus Young, the 20-year-old starting forward for the Philadelphia 76ers, is out for the rest of the regular season due to a sprained ankle. The Sixers are worried that Young may actually miss the beginning of the 2008-09 NBA playoffs.

Thaddeus Young, Philadelphis 76ers (Image: Newscom)

After a very impressive rookie campaign, Young has had an even more impressive sophomore season. He’s averaging 15.2 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game. He’s shooting 49.4% from the field, 34.6% on three-pointers and 74.4% at the free throw line.

This is bad timing for Philadelphia. Currently, the Sixers are in the sixth playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. Mathematically, they could finish in the top four or they could drop all the way out of the playoff picture.

Earlier in the season, Philadelphia lost Elton Brand for the season due to a shoulder injury. With both Brand and Young out, the Sixers will have to look for more scoring from players like Andre Iguodala, Andre Miller, Lou Williams, Willie Green and Marreese Speights.