Sacramento Kings : Grading The Signing Of Ty Lawson
By Vijay Vemu
The Sacramento Kings made some news by signing point guard Ty Lawson. Let’s take a look at the signing.
After letting starting point guard Rajon Rondo walk in free agency, the Sacramento Kings were in need of his replacement. They have apparently found one. Sacramento signed point guard Ty Lawson to a one-year deal.
The deal is non-guaranteed, according to Sam Amick of USA TODAY Sports. Lawson and Rondo are two very different players and for Kings team that is in a clear state of rebuilding, the Lawson signing raises a lot of questions.
Last year was a very rough year for Lawson. After spending his entire career with the Denver Nuggets, Lawson was traded to the Houston Rockets. The arrival of Emmanuel Mudiay in Denver along with the actions of Lawson off the court made it easier for the Nuggets to trade him.
Lawson was supposed to be the guy who could give the Rockets some structure at point guard on the offensive end. But it turned out not to be the case. Lawson averaged only 5.8 points and 3.4 assists per game, posting a VORP of minus-0.9.
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After losing his job to Patrick Beverley, Lawson soon became an afterthought on the Rockets bench. He was waived by the team in early March.
Lawson soon found himself with the Indiana Pacers. With George Hill already the starter, Lawson’s role was clearly to come off the bench and give some pop. With the Pacers set to be playing in the playoffs, he could have been a huge X-factor for them.
But just like in Houston, it wasn’t exactly the case. Lawson averaged 4.9 points and 4.4 assists during his 13-game stint with the Pacers. Now it’s his chance to re-ignite his career.
Lawson will be in the running for the point guard spot but will surely face some competition from Darren Collison. In the backup role last year, Collison was a solid spark offensively, averaging 14.0 points per game.
That was good for third-highest on the team and the highest among Sacramento Kings point guards. He is extremely efficient from the field, posting an eFG% of 54.2 last season, and can certainly run an NBA offense.
But there is one big problem that will certainly affect Collison’s chances to play in the NBA this season.
Collison accepted a plea agreement, pleading guilty to a count of misdemeanor domestic violence, according to CSN Bay Area.
He received a 20-day jail sentence, which he is not expected to serve as he was diverted into the Alternative Sentencing Program in Placer County, Calif. Collison will work on community service projects.
But Collison will likely see a lengthy suspension from the NBA. This isn’t the first time that the NBA has seen a case like this.
Two seasons ago, Jeffery Taylor received a suspension of 24 games for a similar misdemeanor charge. You could expect the same amount of games or an even lengthier suspension for Collison.
With the status of Collison up in the air, this could open the door for Lawson to grab the starting spot.
He certainly isn’t as good of a scorer as Collison, but he does offer more in terms of assists and rebounds. The offensive burden won’t be as high for him due to the presence of DeMarcus Cousins and Rudy Gay.
That could allow Lawson to displays his skills in terms of playmaking along with giving some scoring. If the Kings could get something out of Lawson, it could do them wonders in terms of development as a team.
Let’s not forget, Lawson averaged 15.2 points and 9.6 assists two seasons ago with Denver. At age 28, he can surely find that form again. But he just has to keep his head straight and avoid off the court issues like he has in the past.
The adjustment for Lawson will take some time. But right now Lawson needs to get his career back on track. He got a one-year “prove it” deal and he needs to make the most of it. The fit in terms of on the court could work if Lawson takes the adjustments well.
If he can provide Sacramento solid minutes at the point guard spot along with giving some scoring, this could be a good signing. But if it doesn’t go as planned, we could see another season from Lawson like the one he had last year.
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It’s easy to be optimistic about Lawson right now but who knows how he will show up. Still a confusing signing for the Sacramento Kings unless Lawson proves that it’s not.
Grade : C-