Ty Lawson, 5-11, Freshman, Point Guard, North Carolina
Vs. Arizona: 18 points, 8 assists, 1 turnover, 3 rebounds, 4 steals, 8-14 FG, 1-5 3P, 1-2 FT
Jonathan Watters
Headed into Saturday's game against Arizona, everybody knew the name Ty Lawson. He was a McDonald's All-American point guard who signed early with North Carolina, generally considered to be the best floor general in his graduating class. People might have seen flashes of his ability to put a defense on edge simply by touching the ball, the near-blinding speed in which he can change directions, or the 2 to 1 assist to turnover ratio in the box scores. But up until Saturday, Lawson was a complementary player, one talented player in a virtual sea of talent in Chapel Hill.
Then came the trip to Arizona, where Lawson literally ran America's fastest fast breaking team right into the ground on their own home court. Going up against vastly improved senior Mustafa Shakur, Lawson blazed up and down the court, creating fast break opportunities for himself and for teammates seemingly at will. If he wasn't dribbling straight through defenders in the open court, he was threading the needle on high degree of difficulty cross-court passes or exploding into the lane for acrobatic finishes at the rim. While this was a statement game for the entire team, it was Lawson who dictated the message, to the tune of 18 points, (8-14 shooting, 8 assists [to 1 turnover], and 4 steals.
So what kind of player is Ty Lawson? The resemblance to UNC predecessor Raymond Felton is uncanny, and a good place to start. Both players have that stocky, running back-ish build, mentality and explosiveness. Lawson certainly displays Felton's trademark ability to create for his teammates at spectacularly high speeds, to the point where he will often turn an opponents' made basket into a fast break. His open-court passing ability is something rarely seen in a point guard, and the way he can keep an entire team of defenders on edge is an invaluable asset to any team. And where Felton was rarely one to create his own offense in the halfcourt, Lawson will attack the basket fearlessly and finish his own drives in a variety of ways. He is strong enough to create through contact, and his explosive first step makes it difficult for even the best college defenders to keep in front of him.
Of course, Lawson isn't quite as tall as Felton, and also shares a few of his weak points. There will always be a few mistakes when playing at such high speeds. Felton was never immune to this, and Lawson will leave everybody scratching their heads at times as he learns how to play at different speeds. Lawson hits the 3-pointer at a respectable clip, but his shot is nearly flat-footed and will require some serious work to become effective at the NBA level. Teams don't play Lawson honestly unless they absolutely have to, though he may be a bit ahead of where Felton was at this stage as a shooter.
In an open-court game like Saturday's, nobody in the country is going to keep pace with Ty Lawson. He is a once every couple of years type of talent, capable of changing a game with his mere presence. But in more of a half-court dominated setting, such as North Carolina's game against Georgia Tech the prior weekend, Lawson's weaknesses become more pronounced. Without space to get around defenders, his speed becomes marginalized and his decision making comes more into focus. And this is where Lawson will need to improve the most between now and when the NBA calls. If Saturday's performance against Arizona was any indication, that could be approaching very quickly.
Then came the trip to Arizona, where Lawson literally ran America's fastest fast breaking team right into the ground on their own home court. Going up against vastly improved senior Mustafa Shakur, Lawson blazed up and down the court, creating fast break opportunities for himself and for teammates seemingly at will. If he wasn't dribbling straight through defenders in the open court, he was threading the needle on high degree of difficulty cross-court passes or exploding into the lane for acrobatic finishes at the rim. While this was a statement game for the entire team, it was Lawson who dictated the message, to the tune of 18 points, (8-14 shooting, 8 assists [to 1 turnover], and 4 steals.
So what kind of player is Ty Lawson? The resemblance to UNC predecessor Raymond Felton is uncanny, and a good place to start. Both players have that stocky, running back-ish build, mentality and explosiveness. Lawson certainly displays Felton's trademark ability to create for his teammates at spectacularly high speeds, to the point where he will often turn an opponents' made basket into a fast break. His open-court passing ability is something rarely seen in a point guard, and the way he can keep an entire team of defenders on edge is an invaluable asset to any team. And where Felton was rarely one to create his own offense in the halfcourt, Lawson will attack the basket fearlessly and finish his own drives in a variety of ways. He is strong enough to create through contact, and his explosive first step makes it difficult for even the best college defenders to keep in front of him.
Of course, Lawson isn't quite as tall as Felton, and also shares a few of his weak points. There will always be a few mistakes when playing at such high speeds. Felton was never immune to this, and Lawson will leave everybody scratching their heads at times as he learns how to play at different speeds. Lawson hits the 3-pointer at a respectable clip, but his shot is nearly flat-footed and will require some serious work to become effective at the NBA level. Teams don't play Lawson honestly unless they absolutely have to, though he may be a bit ahead of where Felton was at this stage as a shooter.
In an open-court game like Saturday's, nobody in the country is going to keep pace with Ty Lawson. He is a once every couple of years type of talent, capable of changing a game with his mere presence. But in more of a half-court dominated setting, such as North Carolina's game against Georgia Tech the prior weekend, Lawson's weaknesses become more pronounced. Without space to get around defenders, his speed becomes marginalized and his decision making comes more into focus. And this is where Lawson will need to improve the most between now and when the NBA calls. If Saturday's performance against Arizona was any indication, that could be approaching very quickly.