ORLANDO, Fla. -- Boston Celtics rookie James Young will not participate in the team's five-game summer slate while recovering from lingering issues from a car accident last month, according to president of basketball operations Danny Ainge.
Young, the 17th pick in the 2014 NBA draft, has lingering neck and whiplash issues and hasn't been able to participate in most basketball activities for nearly a month. The team held out hope that he might be able to appear in game action this week, but Ainge ruled him out Monday amidst persistent curiosity about his status.
"He's still got symptoms from the car accident and he doesn't have enough time to learn the stuff, get himself in shape -- he hasn't played for 3 1/2 or 4 weeks, so we're just going to not rush it," Ainge said. "He'll be fine in a couple weeks. Maybe a week. We were just hoping that he would be able to play this week, but he's just not ready and we're not rushing him."
Added Ainge: "He had a little whiplash, but with whiplash comes concussion-like symptoms and dizziness here and there. We're just not messing with that stuff."
Young averaged 14.3 points and 4.3 rebounds per game during his freshman season at Kentucky. The car accident forced him to cancel his final five scheduled pre-draft workouts and might have contributed to him being available to the Celtics at No. 17.
The Celtics have maintained that Young's injuries are minor and there is no long-term concern. Young was on the court in Orlando getting up shots during halftime and was on the bench during the game. He's been able to participate in film sessions and light conditioning work.
"It'll just slowly get better and we don't want to rush it, it's that simple," Ainge said.
Will Young miss anything not being able to participate in game action this week?
"It's always nice to give a guy a chance to play, so soon after they are drafted, but in the scheme of things, it's not critical," Ainge said. "We'll have all summer to teach him, spend time with him, and get him ready for training camp."