James Harden says Ty Lawson is 'more focused than ever'
Houston Rockets star James Harden has spent enough time this offseason with Ty Lawson to know where his head is at.
“Ty is definitely going to help us,” Harden said Saturday at his basketball camp in Texas, according to the Houston Chronicle's Jonathan Feigen. "He gives us that quickness, that speed, playmaking ability, something that we were missing, especially deep in the playoffs. We’re going to welcome him with open arms. We’re happy to have him.”
The Rockets recently acquired Lawson in a five-player trade with the Denver Nuggets following the point guard's second DUI arrest of 2015, after which he spent 30 days in an alcohol rehabilitation center.
"He’s going to be a great addition to our team," Harden said. "I’ve been with him these last couple weeks. He’s more focused than ever. He has a great opportunity with a really good team to showcase his talents and help us with that push that we need."
In spite of his troubles with the law and reported battles with alcohol abuse, Harden is excited to have Lawson on board to shore up the team's depth at point guard and to be the defensive-minded Patrick Beverley's offensive counterpart.
Harden even envisions scenarios where Lawson and Beverley can play alongside each other.
“We can have Ty Lawson handle the basketball, play Pat (Beverley) off the ball," Harden said. "You can play them together. We have a lot of different lineups, a lot of options with this team. I’ve very excited to see how it all is going to pan out. Good things are going to happen.”
Lawson played 75 games for the Nuggets last season, averaging 15.2 points and 9.6 assists (third in NBA).