Ty Lawson Blossoming into New Role as Denver Nuggets Leader
DENVER — If the Denver Nuggets are adopting a universal theme for the 2014-15 season, one that figures to see them right in the thick of the competition for a coveted playoff spot in the Western Conference, it would easily be leadership.
This is a team with no established superstars but plenty of depth, quality players and veteran talent. Nonetheless, during what's widely viewed as a do-over after last year's injury-plagued campaign, someone has to emerge as a leader.
That player is Ty Lawson.
The speedy point guard who averaged 17.6 points and 8.8 assists per game during the 2013-14 season is ready to take on a new role. Now in his sixth season, re-joined by Arron Afflalo and the hordes of players who suffered season-ending injuries last year, Lawson is ready to become a true leader for this team, both on and off the court.
"We've had a lot of conversations this offseason, and we had a lot of conversations at the end of last season," Denver head coach Brian Shaw said during his press conference at Nuggets media day. "That's the position I played—I mean, obviously, we were different players—but I expect more from him than anybody on this team because he's our first line of offense and our first line of defense."
It's a sentiment that doesn't faze Lawson in the slightest. When he was asked about Shaw's view of him and whether those expectations were a bit unfair, he didn't hesitate before accepting the responsibility, even noting that it was understandable because his coach played the same position he now does.
And it's a tricky position, due to the weight of on-court pressure.
Especially in today's NBA, a point guard isn't necessarily just a player who's going to dribble the ball up the floor before passing it off to someone who can do the heavy lifting in the scoring column. There are plenty of floor generals who have become dynamic scorers, and there are likewise quite a few who excel when they're allowed to serve as distributors.
Lawson doesn't necessarily want to pigeonhole himself into either role. In fact, he recognizes that the team's success will often come from him willingly involving his teammates.
"I don't want to average 20 and 10 because then I'm taking too much away from my teammates," he explained, though he also noted that he expects to lead the team in scoring. Shaw wouldn't commit to naming a player as the likely scoring leader, instead pointing to the wealth of options as a strength of the team and an aspect that made the Nuggets difficult to plan for.
But Lawson would, and it's a healthy mix of aggression and assertiveness that he's striving for.
With a horde of assembled microphones and television cameras encroaching on what little personal space he was granted, the dynamic but diminutive point guard was asked how many players in the league were better than him at his position.
Six? Seven? Eight?
"Maybe one," Lawson said, allowing a slight grin to creep across his face. When pressed, he would reveal that player as Russell Westbrook, largely due to the jaw-dropping exploits of this past postseason. He also gave explicit credit to Kyrie Irving, the "up-and-comer," and Tony Parker, "the champion."
For what it's worth, I had him at No. 9 among point guards in the B/R NBA 200, based solely on his work during the 2013-14 season.
"I need to be more assertive," he explained when I asked him what he could do to leave no doubt in his mind that he was the very best. "I waited until the third quarter too often, and I need to start off strong."
Improving his left hand is important. So too is continuing to attack the basket and making defenders pay for coming off their men, especially now that Danilo Gallinari and Afflalo are back in the lineup and set to rain in deep jumpers. But it's still that mental game that is so key for the 5'11" point guard who will be 27 years old at the start of the season. As fast as he is, and as much attention as his churning legs draw, it's the inches between the ears that matter more than anything else this season.
"We've talked about leadership, and if he's not a vocal guy, I'm fine with that," Shaw told the media day masses. "But you have to lead by vocally leading, or you have to lead by example. And he understands that in order for everybody to follow him, he has to lead by example. They're not going to listen to him if he's not in there putting in the work and getting after it."
One change that may fall under the radar is a scheduling one.
Lawson is an admitted night owl, a player who prefers to come into the gym at midnight and work on his shooting. But this year, he has to set an example for those around him, which might mean altering his schedule and allowing the impressionable young players—Garry Harris and Quincy Miller, for example—on the Denver roster to see him drip sweat onto the practice court.
As important as it is for Lawson to thrive as an individual and continue climbing the statistical leaderboards in Denver history—he (career assists and three-pointers made) and Afflalo (three-pointers made) are the only active players listed among the franchise leaders on the walls of the practice gym in the Pepsi Center—it's even more vital that he make an impact on everyone else.
The six-year vet isn't just going to do what's comfortable. He's not content to fill the same role any longer.
Lawson acknowledges that leadership is something that can be learned, and the Nuggets are hellbent on making that happen, even if the route that leads them to such an achievement is an unorthodox one. But hey, when there's a natural leader at your disposal, why not take advantage of him?
"One of the things I wanted to do with him and still may do with him before we get too heavy into it, I wanted to take him to a Broncos practice so he can see Peyton Manning and how he directs traffic and everybody follows in line behind him," Shaw said. "But they only do that because they know the work ethic and the time that he puts in. And his teammates respect that."
Lawson is on board. Nate Robinson, though, is not. Well, unless the Nuggets will let the Seattle-born point guard wear his Seahawks jersey, which might not go over so well given the results of Super Bowl XLVII and Denver's overtime loss in Week 3 of this current season.
"I think so [that he's committed to working harder]," espoused the Denver head coach near the end of his press conference. "He's excited about Arron coming back and having some more weapons on the floor. Having Gallo and JaVale back, and the rest of the guys healthy. He's said all the right things, and he's working hard, so I'm looking forward to him having a big year.
"He wants to be an All-Star, and so it's just that time where he should start feeling it and understanding what it's going to take."
So far, it seems as though Lawson certainly does. He's buying into everything, whether it's the system Shaw is running now that he's gained explicit knowledge of his players' strengths and weaknesses, the ability of his teammates or the need for him to step into his new role.
How can he be an All-Star, though? Lawson knows how tough that is, especially after putting up such stellar numbers in 2013-14. As a guard, it requires being on a playoff team, he explained. Ideally one that's primed to earn home-court advantage for the first round of the postseason.
If leadership can help these dark-horse Nuggets make such a gargantuan step, well, there's a nice goal for the upcoming season.
.jpg?w=600 "Colts Release Kenny Moore")
