Shaw: Whether or not Lawson recovers is up to him

MANILA, Philippines – Former Denver Nuggets point guard Ty Lawson is in trouble again, and his old head coach believes whether or not he can bounce back from his latest setback is entirely up to him. 

In Manila for the NBA Fit Week program, former Nuggets head coach Brian Shaw spoke to the media about the guy he started at point guard during his brief tenure with the franchise, saying he believes Lawson can recover from a fourth DUI charge incurred a few weeks ago.

“I think he can,” Shaw said about the recovery of Lawson, 27, who has to complete a 30-day residential treatment program for his sobriety. 

The talented playmaker was reportedly driving at a high rate of speed before being pulled over at 2 am, according to California Highway Patrol Officer Jennifer Cassidy, who added that Lawson showed signs of being intoxicated.

“It’s a matter of him, if he’s willing to do what it takes to put himself in that situation. It’s unfortunate. He’s a young player, and young players make mistakes. The thing is, do you learn from your mistakes?”

Lawson averaged 15.2 points, 9.6 assists, and 3.1 rebounds a contest last NBA season – productive numbers for a starting point guard. 

However, the Nuggets still got rid of him days after his fourth DUI charge by sending him to the Houston Rockets in exchange for Kostas Papanikolaou, Pablo Prigioni (who has since been waived), Joey Dorsey, Nick Johnson, and a future first-round pick.

Lawson goes to a team that was in the Western Conference Finals last season and is expected to again contend for an NBA title with the core of James Harden, Dwight Howard, and Trevor Ariza still in tact.

Denver, meanwhile, with new head coach Mike Malone, will progress into the next era of their team history, hoping new point guard Emmanuel Mudiay, who was taken 7th overall in the 2015 NBA Draft, can develop quickly.

“He’s made his share of mistakes,” Shaw said of Lawson, “and now, he’s getting to the age where he needs to show people that he’s going to take more responsibility and understanding that the game of basketball – especially in the NBA – is a privilege, and you wanna make the most of it.” – Rappler.com