Nick Young likely done for season

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. -- Los Angeles Lakers guard Nick Young is expected to miss the rest of the season with a fractured left knee that hasn't made much progress in healing, coach Byron Scott said after the team's practice Saturday.

Young has missed the Lakers' last 20 games with the injury, which he suffered in a Feb. 22 win over the Boston Celtics.

"My feeling really is that, with seven games left, he probably won't play the rest of the season," Scott said. "Like I said, the last report that I did get on him -- which was when we were on the road -- was that he really wasn't making much progress."

Young missed the first 10 games of the season due to a torn ligament in his thumb, then later missed three games because of a sprained ankle. He also entered a deep shooting slump midway through the season. Since Jan. 1, he has shot 32.2 percent from the field and 28.6 percent on 3-point attempts.

Scott hasn't been shy about criticizing Young, who averaged 13.4 points and 2.3 rebounds in 23.8 minutes over 42 games this season.

"I don't see a problem there with Nick and I, it's just a matter of him getting healthy No. 1 and understanding that going into next year his priorities have to be a little different," Scott said.

"I consider Nick either a home run or a strikeout-type guy on the offensive end. Just like I told him, he has to elevate his game. He has to grow as a basketball player if he wants to continue to play in this league for a long time. He has to get better at moving without the ball, he has to be better at defending people a little bit better and be a better off-the-ball defender as well.

"There's areas in his game that he has to improve, and if he doesn't, there's no telling what we're going to do this year in the free agent market. But if we get the guys we want then he's got a challenge next year on his hands, as far as being in that rotation and playing consistent minutes."