What about Ty Lawson?

[Fez Hammersticks]

This guy, IMO, will make an immediate Aaron Brooks type of impact. The fastest guard in College and was probably the best PG in the nation. He's only 6'0" (in shoes) and a very average wingspan but the guy is super quick and strong. The guy is 6'0" and 200 lbs. He really has a build of an NFL player. A projected top-13 pick, we'd definitely have to trade up.

From Draftexpress:

- True point guard
- Ability to create own shot
- Aggressive slashing mentality
- Ball-handling skills
- Excellent hands
- Ability to get in passing lanes
- Pressure defense
- Potential
- Unselfishness
- Work ethic
- High-level productivity
- Assist to turnover ratio
- Court vision
- Passing skills
- Incredibly quick
- Strength
- 3-point shooting percentages
- Ability to catch and shoot

As we put this data together, we weren’t surprised that Ty Lawson excelled from a situational perspective, as he did play for the most potent offense in all of college basketball, but we didn’t expect him to look this good. He ranks first in a number of key categories, including overall FG% (52%), Points Per Possession [PPP](1.13), pull up jump shot FG% (47%), and %shots he was fouled on (16.1%). Though his teammates did a lot of scoring as well, Lawson functioned seamlessly as a complementary scorer. Looking past his efficiency as a shooter off the dribble, he was second in catch and shoot field goal percentage at 48%. From a purely statistical sense, no player on this list scored more efficiently than Lawson.

 

[santeesioux]

I'd take him if they signed a free agent pg and traded some of the pgs they have now.

 

[BlazerBeliever]

Lawson is a gamer and he is tough. Of coarse I think the same things about Bayless. If we get him great if not oh well.

 

[cdub503]

then does he sit on the bench while bayless gets back up minutes? Assuming we don't go into FA signing for a pg and get lawson how is time diveyed? (sp) sit Blake? Let him walk? Sign and trade for a pf? It'd be a clusterfuck at the 1 again and someone would be pissed about pt

 

[Nikolokolus]

I don't hate Lawson and he really answered a lot of critics with the improvement to his perimeter game ... however I think he's still mostly a product of Roy Williams up and down style and still looks shaky in a half-court set, but if KP went out and got him I wouldn't hate the move, but there sure would have to be a lot of other guys traded (Bayless and Sergio at a minimum) and there's still little evidence that he'd be ready to jump into the rotation even in the first year.

I guess I'm fifty-fifty on him.

Pros:
One man fast break
low center of gravity and strong
great body control
outstanding 3 point shooter this season at 47%
can generate fouls off the dribble
generates a lot of steals

drawbacks and question marks:
short statured and short armed
will have trouble bothering the shot of anyone at the next level
can he run a half-court offense?
how would he fit in with this team that is entering contention mode in a hurry?

 

[MAS RipCity]

I like Bayless more than any pg prospect in this year's draft/ There is just something about Bayless' worth ethic and demeanor that I know he is going to be a beast for us.

 

[drexlersdad]

heres hoping bayless makes this all moot.

 

[Sedatedfork]

I like Bayless more than any pg prospect in this year's draft/ There is just something about Bayless' worth ethic and demeanor that I know he is going to be a beast for us.

More than Rubio?

 

[Wheels]

heres hoping bayless makes this all moot.

 

[Sinobas]

He sounds a bit like Raymond Felton doesn't he?

 

[Fez Hammersticks]

He's roughly the size of Chris Paul.

Paul:
6'1" (in shoes)
7'9" standing reach

Lawson:
6'0" (in shoes)
7'9.5" standing reach

Btw, Aaron Brooks came in at 5'10.5". Height doesn't matter with certain players, IMO.

 

[Nikolokolus]

He sounds a bit like Raymond Felton doesn't he?

Except Ray Felton can't shoot a lick.

 

[Further]

I would like to get rid of Blake in leu of a better vet like Miller, then get a player like Lawson to compete with Bayless for the BU minutes and future starting role.

 

[Sinobas]

We'd probably have to trade up to get him though huh?

 

[Nikolokolus]

We'd probably have to trade up to get him though huh?

I've seen him projected to go anywhere from 11 to 15 lately, so yeah.

On the flipside I think he's probably 'gettable' since anybody drafting him high is going to be on the hook for his salary and with the lousy economy there's a good chance some of the late lottery teams will be looking to trade down or out -- especially with all of the prospects with question marks and a good deal of bust potential.

 

[Minstrel]

Yeah. This is why I think there's actually a chance to get Rubio. I think every team who doesn't have the #1 pick will at least be willing to consider a trade-down. Unless the team that gets #2 really needs a point guard...then I can't see them passing on Rubio.

This draft and this economy, the prevailing attitude seems to be that outside the only perceived "sure thing" Blake Griffin, it's a crapshoot, so why be on the hook for a higher-slot salary.

 

[MAS RipCity]

More than Rubio?

Yes
Bayless has all the qualities we need in a point guard playing alongside Roy
-Ability to penetrate
-Great energy
-Tough defensive pressure
-Ability to hit the mid-range jump shot (once he knows he will have playing time, the jumper will come back like he had at UA)
-Willingness to pass

I think Bayless is ready to contribute next year as a backup to, hopefully, Andre Miller. To get Rubio, we'd be shredded pretty thin and would count on him to play too much as an 18 yr old. That's not what we need right now.

 

[Nikolokolus]

Yes
Bayless has all the qualities we need in a point guard playing alongside Roy
-Ability to penetrate
-Great energy
-Tough defensive pressure
-Ability to hit the mid-range jump shot (once he knows he will have playing time, the jumper will come back like he had at UA)
-Willingness to pass

I think Bayless is ready to contribute next year as a backup to, hopefully, Andre Miller. To get Rubio, we'd be shredded pretty thin and would count on him to play too much as an 18 yr old. That's not what we need right now.

I really like Bayless, but I don't think we can really say that Jerryd has shown anybody what he can or can't do as an NBA point guard; 650 minutes is not what I would call legitimate sample size. On the other hand I do agree that counting on an 18 year old point guard to come in and be an instant impact player might be a stretch (no matter how highly touted).

 

[Minstrel]

On the other hand I do agree that counting on an 18 year old point guard to come in and be an instant impact player might be a stretch (no matter how highly touted).

I agree. My ideal scenario would be to trade first round picks (Portland's and any that KP can buy this year), Bayless and someone like Webster or Outlaw to get Rubio. And then sign Andre Miller.

Miller runs the team, Blake is the back-up point guard, Rubio gets spot minutes. The next off-season, Blake departs as a free agent, Miller remains the starter and Rubio becomes the primary backup. The season after that, whoever's better of Miller and Rubio starts, the other is the backup.