Houston Rockets: Is Ty Lawson The Rockets’ Answer At PG?

The Houston Rockets reportedly traded for the Denver Nuggets’ troubled point guard Ty Lawson yesterday, with the deal officially going through today. Lawson was already skating on thin ice with the Nuggets, but the straw that broke the camel’s back was when Lawson was pulled over recently in Los Angeles for a DUI. It was his second in six months, and resulted in him checking into rehab.

Denver has agreed to a deal to send guard Ty Lawson to Houston, league sources tell Yahoo Sports.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 20, 2015

For the Rockets, it was a great deal. They gave up a measly package of Kostas Papanikolaou, Pablo Prigioni, Joey Dorsey, Nick Johnson and a lottery-protected 2016 first round pick. The Nuggets also included a 2017 second round pick, which just sweetens the deal further for the Rockets.

Acquiring Lawson probably ends the Rockets’ long search for a starting point guard. Since trading for James Harden, the Rockets have found it tough to find a backcourt partner for the superstar shooting guard.

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Jeremy Lin was a poor fit: both players required the ball in their hands to succeed, and Lin was a poor shooter off the ball and an equally poor defender as Harden was. It resulted in Lin being pushed to the bench, with Patrick Beverley promoted to the starting gig. Beverley was a much better foil to Harden, as he was essentially the opposite of the Beard. He brought defense and was content to sit on the perimeter on the offensive end, which allowed Harden to focus on what he does best.

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The Rockets had a weird assortment of point guards last season: Jason Terry (listed as a shooting guard, but played the point for the Rockets), Pablo Prigioni, and Isaiah Canaan. Terry and Prigioni are clearly on their last legs, and Canaan has yet to flourish with the Rockets.

While Beverley was viewed as the incumbent starter and complemented Harden perfectly, it always seemed like he was merely a placeholder until a better option came for Houston.

With Harden at the two-guard, the best point guard to pair alongside him would be one that could spread the floor with his shooting, play defense, and play as a secondary playmaker. Under the Rockets’ offense, Harden dominates the ball (he had the most touches for a shooting guard in the league at 6,155 last season) and his ideal backcourt partner would be one that works well off it.

Lawson is an interesting fit with the Rockets because while he suits the mould of an ideal backcourt partner for Harden, he isn’t the best candidate for the job. Lawson’s final season at Denver was poor: he scored 15.2 points per game, but did so on 43.6 percent shooting. It’s hard to assess whether last season was just an aberration or the start of a decline for the 27-year-old point guard. He made just 0.9 three-point field goals last season, which isn’t far from the one per game he averages for his career. Beverley attempted more three-point shots, but converted at a similar rate (36.1 to Lawson’s 36.9 percent for his career).

On the defensive end, the difficulty in assessing Lawson continues. The Nuggets were the fifth worst defense in the league, but Lawson’s defensive win shares were in the positive (1.0) despite the Nuggets being a better defensive team with him off the court. He possesses good physical traits (quickness, wingspan, agility) that are typically attributed to good defenders, but there is little in his recent work to suggest that he is still the same defender many remember him to be.

But the most tantalizing part of the Lawson acquisition is his playmaking. Lawson had 6,146 touches last season – seventh most in the league. He ranked ninth in the league for most time of possession (7.3 minutes per game), but the top 10 in that category is dominated by guards playing for lottery teams (Reggie Jackson, Ricky Rubio, Michael Carter-Williams, Kemba Walker, Mo Williams).

However, Lawson did average 9.6 assists per game – third most in the league. He led the Nuggets in offensive win shares (6.0) and Denver’s offense was 11.1 points per 100 possessions better with him on the court. If the Rockets choose to start Beverley over Lawson, they will do so knowing they have a sixth man in Lawson who can more than adequately lead the bench.

In all, Lawson could very well be the best point guard the Rockets have had since Steve Francis in the mid-2000s. But, his personal struggles could very well get the better of him, and result in the Rockets continuing their seemingly-never ending search for a franchise point guard.

Next: NBA Trade Grades: Nuggets Send Ty Lawson To Rockets

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