Thaddeus Young admits he’s frustrated with his playing time with the San Antonio Spurs: ‘It’s very tough and frustrating at times’

Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

Thaddeus Young is in his first season with the San Antonio Spurs.

Unfortunately for Young, he isn’t getting a ton of playing time with the team. He recently opened up about that and explained that “it’s very tough and frustrating at times.”

“It’s super tough,” he said during a recent podcast appearance. “It’s very tough and frustrating at times but at the end of the day, I understand where this franchise [Spurs] is going. I understand what’s happening. The young guys have to play.”

Young is averaging a career-low 15.6 minutes per game in the 2021-22 campaign. He also hasn’t started a game. He has started at least one game in every other year of his career.

The veteran has made the most of his playing time when he’s gotten it this season. He’s averaging 7.3 points, 3.6 rebounds and 2.9 assists per contest while shooting 59.6 percent from the field.

It remains to be seen if his role will change much throughout the year. If he becomes particularly unhappy with his situation, perhaps he’ll find himself wearing a new uniform before the season comes to an end.

Young, who’s 33 years of age, hasn’t won an NBA title. For many players, winning a ring becomes the top priority at a certain age. Young might be at that point.

The Spurs aren’t exactly contenders this season, so if Young wants to win a title in the 2021-22 campaign, it’ll probably have to happen with a different squad. Only time will tell what his future holds.

The Spurs are 6-13 on the season. That’s one of the four worst records in the Western Conference.