The Houston Rockets always swing for the fence during the offseason, and this time they landed Ty Lawson via trade after his welcome in Denver expired due to various reasons, including his DUI arrests.
Lawson still has legal issues to sort and court dates to be on time for, but leaving the Nuggets who seemed to be in stagnation after the 2013 front office and coaching stuff purge was a welcome change for him, now once again playing for a team with immediate goals that are as high as possible, something Lawson feels he can be a big part of.
I was like, before I even came to the team, I was talking to James Harden. I was like, ‘Man get me over there.’ I’ll be that piece to get over the hump. It’s definitely a breath of fresh air. It’s a huge chance. The Rockets went to the Western Conference finals last season and could have won, but you just needed a couple of extra pieces. So I’m excited to be playing in a situation where I know I have a chance to win.
Is Lawson the missing piece in the Rockets’ championship plans? He is a very good point guard, especially in the open floor, but he’s going to be playing next to James Harden. The two might be good friends and everything, but Harden is a player that wants the ball in his hands, which helps usage-heavy point guards like Lawson bring their best to the game.
Obviously it’s up to Kevin McHale and Daryl Morey to figure the backcourt pairings and timings in a way that doesn’t take away from each player’s best attributes, but while Lawson is a big upgrade for the Rockets in the backcourt compared to last season, it’s not necessarily the move they needed to make in order to make the NBA Finals and win a championship.