Nick Young is trying to find shooting touch with Clippers

OKLAHOMA CITY — In 15 games with the Clippers, Nick Young’s shot has failed him.

Young was acquired from the Washington Wizards to provide the Clippers with a scoring punch, but the 6-foot-7 guard has mostly struggled to find his shooting touch.

“There’s been moments,” Coach Vinny Del Negro said. “But we’ve got to get some more consistent moments.”

At times, Del Negro acknowledged, Young has to figure out “what’s a good shot and what’s not.”

Young had a decent shooting night Wednesday against Oklahoma City, scoring 10 points on three-for-seven shooting. He missed both of his three-point attempts.

But he did have a key play late in the game, hustling for a rebound and then driving in for a layup for a five-point Clippers lead late.

“I’m still just trying to get things together,” Young said.

Young is making just 36.3% of his shots wearing a Clippers uniform, 29.2% of his three-pointers. He is averaging 10.1 points.

“I’m trying to get him to lock in defensively more than anything,” Del Negro said. “I think he can be a very good defender with the quickness of his feet, his length, and just try to get him in the flow of things. When he plays well, he gives us another punch off the bench. With Mo [Williams] being injured [sprained left big toe], we definitely need that.”

Williams, who has missed the last 11 games, is expected to play Thursday night at Minnesota.

Learning to be physical

Other teams such as the Memphis Grizzlies say one of their strategies is to be physical against the Clippers.

Del Negro said being physical is about putting hands on a player in half-court settings, setting screens, boxing out for rebounds and not allowing easy layups.

“You do it all within the rules and all clean,” Del Negro said. “But you let them know that, ‘Hey, we’re here to work. We’re here to fight. We’re here to grind it out.’ And you give yourself an opportunity to compete and give yourself a chance to win.”

Del Negro said he believes his team has the players and capabilities to be a physical team.

He thinks that by having a four-man rotation with DeAndre Jordan, Blake Griffin, Kenyon Martin and Reggie Evans that the Clippers have the bodies to be physical.

“We do at times,” Del Negro said. “But overall as this season goes on, as these games come, you’re going to have to pick up the physicality of this because it’s a tight race right now and you’re going to have to pick up your level of play.”

broderick.turner@latimes.com

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