Ty Lawson says he's been overlooked, will play like his old self next year
The free agent point guard's career has gone off track
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2 min read
Free agency is pretty much over, so if you're a team looking for a point guard, here are your options (aside from nabbing someone who played in the D-League or overseas last season): Steve Blake, Norris Cole, Ty Lawson, Kirk Hinrich, Shane Larkin, Mario Chalmers, Beno Udrih, Spencer Dinwiddie, Jordan Farmar.
There is one player on that list who stands out. Just a year ago, Lawson was supposed to be the Houston Rockets' missing piece, the guy who could take some of the playmaking burden away from James Harden and make opposing point guards work on defense. Before his tenure with the Denver Nuggets unraveled, Lawson was seen as one of the better starting point guards in the league.
The Nuggets traded him to the Rockets after he had multiple DUI charges, and he spent some of last summer in an alcohol rehab clinic in Malibu. Then, he played some of the worst basketball in his career in Houston and with the Indiana Pacers, who signed him after he was waived in March.
Now, in an interview with ESPN's Marc Spears, Lawson says that he "couldn't play freely and loosely" last year, and he's going to "stop second-guessing myself" when he's back on the court. He even said that "the old Denver Ty Lawson will be ready to show up" in training camp.
From ESPN:
What do you say to prospective teams when they ask you about your alcohol problems?
Things happened in the media because I drank and drove. But I'm not a person out here like everyone thinks that I'm drunk all day. No, I don't do that. A lot of my friends, we go out and celebrate. But I'm not that person in the morning getting drunk before practice. I think there is a big misconception about what everybody thinks. That's what I basically tell them. I keep it honest.
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Do you feel like you're a sleeper free agent?
I think so. At this point, I am not going to say they are going to get me for cheap. But they're going to get me for cheaper than I feel I'm worth ... I feel like I'm overlooked in free agency.
Lawson will turn 29 in November. He should be in his prime, not declining. If he has his off-the-court life in order and plays with confidence, then he could be a steal of a signing. It was not that long ago that Lawson was one of the better pick-and-roll creators in the entire league, capable of getting to the rim almost at will or finding open cutters and shooters with ease. He used to not only be feared because of his quickness in transition, but because how he'd cleverly finish inside or draw contact.
Had he played like that with the Rockets and Pacers, he could have signed the biggest contract of his career this summer. Instead, it's looking like he'll be someone's backup for at least another season. If he expected to be offered something more, then these last three weeks might have been humbling. Perhaps the best plan for Lawson is to sign a one-year deal, try to prove he can contribute to a winning team and then go through free agency again.
