About an hour before Monday night’s game, a visitor entered the Nuggets’ locker room, saw Ty Lawson and gave the rookie guard a thumbs up. Lawson, always friendly, gave back a thumbs up but then realized the visitor was inquiring if Lawson would play against the Timberwolves. Alas, Lawson held out his palm parallel to the ground and shook it, the international sign for “iffy.”
Minutes later, Lawson and the Nuggets’ training staff determined the former North Carolina star wouldn’t play against the Timberwolves, making Monday the 15th of the past 17 games in which Lawson, Chauncey Billups, Kenyon Martin or Carmelo Anthony (or a combination of the four) has been sidelined because of an injury.
Saturday at Sacramento, Lawson was optimistic he would play Monday.
Lawson now will shoot for Wednesday against Orlando.
Learning on the fly.
Minne- sota also has a rookie point guard playing big minutes. Jonny Flynn was drafted sixth overall last summer (12 spots ahead of Lawson) and also is learning on the job. As for coaching a rookie point guard, Minnesota coach Kurt Rambis said: “I didn’t give him the freedom that I’m sure he’d like, but I’m teaching him to run a system. And he’s learning the most difficult position in the NBA to learn. He’s made tremendous strides since training camp and I have not lost sight of my goal and vision for him. At some point in time, two, three, four years in this league, he’s going to be one of the elite point guards in this league.”
Benjamin Hochman, The Denver Post
