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NBA Free Agency: Ty Lawson could be spark for OKC bench

By Jordan Buckamneer

TORONTO, CANADA - APRIL 17: Ty Lawson #4 of the Washington Wizards handles the ball against the Toronto Raptors in Game Two of Round One of the 2018 NBA Playoffs on April 17, 2018 at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Mark Blinch/NBAE via Getty Images)
TORONTO, CANADA - APRIL 17: Ty Lawson #4 of the Washington Wizards handles the ball against the Toronto Raptors in Game Two of Round One of the 2018 NBA Playoffs on April 17, 2018 at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Mark Blinch/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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Sure, Ty Lawson may have proven he has what it takes to play overseas. But has he done enough to warrant a contract in the NBA? Unfortunately, there are still a lot of unknowns.

Strengths:

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Due to his recent success in the playoffs, it’s hard not to see at least one team take a flyer on Lawson. He perhaps isn’t a guy to build the offense around, but some minutes early in the season should be indicative of what the rest of his career will look like.

And if it turns out he still has some left in the tank, it’s found money. If not, the team is only out veteran minimum or close to.

If Lawson is anything like what he was in his early days with Denver, he would be a steal. Lawson may not have been among the elite point guards in his prime, but he was above average. He was scoring over 15 points per game from 2011-2015 and came just shy of averaging a double-double with 9.6 assists in his final campaign with the Nuggets.

Will he ever be the same? It’s hard to tell at this point. But he does know how to play and has taken a wild ride to get back. And in his one opportunity to prove his worth, he capitalized.

Weaknesses:

First and foremost, Lawson’s biggest issue is his history. Coming back from playing overseas after a slew of legal issues doesn’t make him a hot commodity. However, if teams think he has a chance to help them win games, he’ll get a chance.

Aside from off the court issues, Lawson has always been a bit undersized at 5-11. His low center of gravity and quickness made him a great ball handler, but speed is usually among the first things to go with age. Lawson has also spoken a lot about regaining confidence in China, which may mean his shooting might come and go.

Above all, Lawson remains an unknown. He had one good game with the Wizards in the playoffs and played well enough in China to comeback for a short time. It will simply come down to one team taking a flyer on him. For a veteran minimum Lawson could be a great pickup or an afterthought.

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