Ever wanted to ask a sports personality a question? Now’s your chance. They will answer readers’ questions in The Denver Post’s “Fan Mail” feature.
In this installment, Ty Lawson, the Nuggets’ speedy second-year point guard, dishes his thoughts about increased playing time, his beloved North Carolina Tar Heels and the hoopla surrounding this year’s Nuggets.
In next week’s installment, Colorado State freshman quarterback Pete Thomas tackles questions. Send your Qs in an email to fanmail@denverpost.com.
You’ll probably see more minutes this season. Will it change how you play? Will you have to pace yourself more, do you think?
— Dante, Denver
Ty Lawson: It’s really not going to be any different. I have been working hard, working on my skills. So I am basically playing the same way as I did last year, just hopefully with more minutes.
I don’t think I have to worry about the pace of the season. I’m in shape and I’ve been working out all summer. I’m ready to play the same style that I played last year. I’ll still be able to play and have enough breath
Hi Ty, with a year under your belt and even more confidence in the Nuggets’ system, who are you most looking forward to playing with off the bench? I was personally hoping you and J.R. (Smith) could run and gun a little more up and down the floor.
— John H., Santa Fe
TL: I really don’t know who is going to be on our bench this year. But anybody, Melo through everybody, everybody is good and can do different things on the court.
I think everybody is fun to play with, but Arron (Afflalo) has really picked up his game, so I wouldn’t mind playing with him a little bit more. I don’t know which one of them is going to start, either Aaron or J.R. I don’t know what the lineup is, but I will probably get a lot of minutes with J.R., too.
Critics have questioned whether you can defend top point guards in this league due to your height (Lawson is listed at 5-foot-11). How do you defend taller players, and what do you think you bring to the table defensively?
— Eron, Pinedale, Wyo.
TL: Man, you have to learn defense through game experience and practice. At practice, I’m just working hard on defense, trying to get better. I have worked hard to move my feet better.
You know, they say I defended the taller point guards pretty well last season. I just have to get my body up to them. Because I’m smaller, I can get under them. That’s the main thing.
I loved watching you play last year, but also wished that you took the open shot more often, particularly down the stretch of the season. What have you done to make your shot better? And do you feel comfortable shooting it off the dribble?
— Phil, Denver
TL: I’m shooting the ball a lot better. Everybody says I am shooting the ball a thousand times better. I am more comfortable at the 3-point line and off the dribble. So people are going to see a big difference this year.
What sort of ball-handling, shooting drills and practice routines did you go through in order to get better for this upcoming season?
— George Anderson, Fairfax, Va.
TL: Ball handling and shooting, you said it. Those two things. That was my main thing in the offseason, something I worked on a lot.
Instead of just being a speedy guard, I want to be a guard who can handle the ball and shoot better. I want to get my shot up higher and my release quicker. I think you’ll see that.
What is it like going into a season with the roster so up in the air? Does it even make a difference to you? Are you bugged by all the hoopla?
— Craig, Colorado Springs
TL: It doesn’t bother me at all. Everybody is here right now and this is what I know. I feel like we are going into the season with this team, so there is nothing up in the air or anything like that.
If something happens, we will deal with it, but right now it’t just us right here.
Ty, two questions for you. Is life on the road in the NBA fun or do you get sick and tired of all the travel? Second, how are your Tar Heels going to be this year?
— Greg, Arvada
TL: I’m the kind of person, even if I didn’t play basketball, I would be traveling all over the place. I hate to stay in one spot for more than one or two weeks.
I love traveling. I love going to town. The late nights might be the only problem. I hate getting in at like 3 o’clock in the morning and then having to get up at eight. I’m a sleeper, so, you know, that’s tough.
I think UNC is going to be good. Harrison Barnes will probably be a top-five pick this year. If they let him play, he’s going to be real good team. I won’t say he’s exactly like Melo, but he has a lot of the same characteristics.
How great was your experience at UNC? Those of us who bleed Carolina blue loved watching how you took over games. If given the opportunity, we believe you will do the same at the NBA level. Some of the moves that you make should be against the LAW—SON! Good luck and can’t wait to see you play this year.
— Bo Royal, Martinsburg, W.V.
TL: It was a lot of fun at UNC. I still go back there every summer. Last year, before we played the (Detroit) Pistons, coach (George Karl) let me stay back and hang out at UNC because we had just played in Charlotte. That was great. I love UNC.
Tywon “Ty” Lawson, 22, has been wowing hoops fans since he was a prep star at Oakhill Academy in Virginia. During his senior year, he averaged 23.8 points, 9.1 assists and five steals a game. That was enough to earn him first-team USA Today All-American honors.
He went to North Carolian where, as a junior, he was named the Atlantic Coast Conference’s player of the year, making him the first point guard to win that honor since UNC’s Phil Ford did it in 1978.
In the 2009 NBA draft, Lawson traded the powder blue of UNC for the powder blue of Denver. The Nuggets acquired the draft rights to Lawson, the 18th pick from Minnesota.
His up-tempo style fit in well with the Nuggets’ style of basketball. In his rookie season, Lawson proved himself one of the league’s best backup point guards. Playing mostly behind veteran Chauncey Billups, he averaged 8.3 points, 3.1 assists, 0.7 steals and 0.5 3-pointers in just 20.2 minutes per game.
