One of the Rockets’ most significant offseason moves was the acquisition of Ty Lawson from Denver. But the 27-year-old is not guaranteed a starting spot, according to coach Kevin McHale. Whether or not this is simply a coach being diplomatic remains to be seen, but for now it would appear that Lawson will compete with Patrick Beverley, whom the Rockets re-signed this summer for $23MM over four years, for the starting point guard job.
This brings me to the topic of the day: Who should be the Rockets’ starting point guard in 2015/16?
For a quick comparison, here are the 2014/15 stats for both players:
- Patrick Beverley: 10.1 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 3.4 APG, 1.1 SPG, and 1.5 TPG in 30.8 minutes per contest. His slash line was .383/.356/.750.
- Ty Lawson: 15.2 PPG, 3.1 RPG, 9.6 APG, 1.2 SPG, and 2.5 TPG in 35.5 minutes per night. His slash line was .436/.341/.730.
Which player will give the Rockets the best chance to win this season? In your opinion, does one fit within Houston’s system better than the other? If your pick is Lawson, do you believe he’ll be able to stay out of trouble throughout the 2015/16 campaign? Take to the comments section below to weigh in with your thoughts and opinions on the matter. We look forward to what you have to say.
Lawson because even though Beverly gives defense Lawson gives them another scorer and can actually set up people for shots and I think he will avoid major trouble but he will be in minor trouble. Rockets could go far with this team if healthy
No question they should start Lawson, gives the starters another creator, which means frees up harden from double teams. Also harden can put forth more effort on defense because he wont have to create shots for others. Lawson also will make howard and jones better offense options from driving then dishing. Lawson should also have better shooting %s because of the other offensive threats, in denver he had to carry the team. Beverley thrived off the bench as a defensive specialist, last year he had to create more on offense which made him slack off on what hes known for. The rockets are more loading then they’ve ever been looking foward to this season.
Beverley is a better fit next to Harden because of his defensive prowess. You don’t want two bad defenders in your backcourt with all the high-scoring guards in the Western Conference. Plus, the point of getting Lawson was to have a creator in the game when Harden sits out. If he accepts the role, Lawson could be effective as the leader of the bench unit.
Lawson. Plain and simple should be no discussion. Its like everyones forgotten how talented lawson is since his recent duis. Hes still a given to play 70+ games and if it wasnt due to the share glut of extremely talented point guards Lawson would of been an all star by now. Sure beverly is better at defence but lawsons no slouch
Hard question. Beverly’s defense is not to be ignored. But I hate watching teams in the playoffs abandon team basketball and just give it to one player to be the hero (LBJ, Harden). Golden State didn’t establish some new small ball trend. They played a team game and won. The ball moved enough for Steph to get his but also for Igoudala and others to contribute. My point is Ty Lawson is a distributor and can keep the rest of the team in the game while Harden does his thing.
I think a lot of it depends on how well Trevor Ariza and Dwight Howard are playing. Both are strong defenders, but both are getting older, and if they’re a step slow, that could prove problematic for the Rockets if they don’t have another defensive presence on the floor. So, I’d go with Lawson if Ariza and Howard are right, and Beverley if they’re not.
If Lawson gets serious, which given his new opportunity I think he will, He will be a Top 10 Point guard. He’s a great player when focused. Beverly is an excellent back up but he’s no Ty Lawson
I’d start Beverley. Although Lawson is probably overqualified to be a sixth man, that may be the best route initially. Lawson could do real damage against other teams’ second units and it would give Houston a real advantage.
I think it more depends on how focused Lawson is. He’s a great player and a top ten pg when he’s focused. He fits the system like a glove. We made it to the western conference finals with Jason terry starting at point. My point is we don’t need a great defender next to Harden. All in all if Lawson stays focused and plays his best I think he’ll prove to us he deserves to start.