It’s hard to even look into the sad eyes of the face of the franchise.
Asked on Monday if he’s embarrassed, Ty Lawson softy said: “Oh, yeah. Yeah. Twenty wins …” as if he couldn’t believe it either.
“It’s tough to even come play at home,” the Nuggets point guard continued, “because we’re playing bad and not showing them what they want and you hear boos. I just feel bad for the fans. They deserve better.”
Yep. And there should be a finger pointed at Lawson — I’m talking about a long, Dikembe-like digit — for his role in Denver’s disintegration. I no longer see how this guy can be the future of the organization. He’s not a No. 1 player. He could be a complementary piece.
Being considerate to the media doesn’t get Lawson a free pass, not in a season when we’ve pointed a fistful of fingers at Josh Kroenke, Tim Connelly, Brian Shaw and Kenneth Faried. Embarrassed? Shoot, I’m embarrassed by Lawson since his unfashionably late arrival to town after the NBA all-star break.
Lawson’s play of late has epitomized the lifeless and lackluster Nuggets. Lawson has averaged 16.3 points per game this season, but in the past five games he’s averaged 9.8 points. That’s what Brandon Bass averages.
What happened to that guy we knew, the motor of the 57-win Nuggets just two seasons ago? The guy who took over playoff games? I wasn’t talking to that man Monday.
“My shot, I just don’t feel comfortable with my shot,” surmised Lawson, whose 20-39 Nuggets host Milwaukee on Tuesday. “I got into the gym last night and shot. That’s basically what it is, missing shots — I feel my assists are there — I just got to knock down shots.”
It’s easy to say that coach Brian Shaw ruined him, but I don’t completely buy it. This sport is about a toughness that has nothing to do with biceps and triceps. It’s about mental toughness. It’s about grinding. It’s about pushing when things aren’t going well. And Lawson has lost his zest.
And it’s easy to say the roster hurts him, and I do, yes, buy some of that. I mean, put 1996 Michael Jordan on this team, and how much better is Denver, really? But Lawson has done little to elevate his teammates, to make everyone better, to be the guy who will lead Denver through this thick, muddy road. Watching the Nuggets lose Sunday night to the New Orleans Pelicans — a team missing several key players — and you had to wonder if Lawson himself is Denver’s best answer to tanking.
Really, though, let’s be honest. What did we truly expect from him this season? He came into the league with guards such as Stephen Curry, James Harden and Jeff Teague. If we compare them to the cast of cult classic these guys are James Franco, Seth Rogen and Jason Segal. Lawson? He’s Linda Cardellini, who later was on “E.R.” but had an unspectacular career. He’s just not as good as the others.
Still, it’s been a sad demise. Around town, fans have questioned Lawson’s integrity, following the DUI and even the Vegas travel mishap when he was a day late getting back to the team. So many people seem to have an “I saw Ty” story. Shaw was asked Monday if he should have done anything differently in regard to coaching Lawson this season.
“I believe what I’m doing. I don’t know if I’d say I’d do anything differently,” the coach said. “There are a lot of circumstances that when (we talk to the media), I can’t talk about. I’ve always tried to be as honest as I possibly can. But there are also a lot of things I can’t say, because these are young men, and I look at them like I do my three kids — they make mistakes because they’re young. Our philosophy has been — make new mistakes, don’t make the same old mistakes. I feel obligated that when a guy makes a mistake — and I’m not talking about on the court, I’m talking about off the court — that I say, ‘I’m not going to jump on the bandwagon and dump on him because he made a mistake.’ “
Perhaps the most-telling thing Shaw said of Lawson wasn’t even about Lawson. Shaw was asked about rookie Jusuf Nurkic, and as Shaw talked, I thought about Lawson — about who Ty was early in his career, and the sad transformation to who he is today.
“(Nurkic) is still pure,” Shaw said. “He hasn’t been corrupted by things that go on in this league, some of the players who are in the locker rooms in this league. And you try to keep it pure.”
Benjamin Hochman: bhochman@denverpost.com or
Off the mark
Ty Lawson has been on a major down swing since the All-Star break, much like the Nuggets. A look at his season averages, and his past five games since the break. (He was benched for one game).
Time period PPG Assists FG-FGA*
Season 16.3 9.8 5.7 12.8
Last 5 9.8 7.6 4.2 8.6
* – Per game
