Ty Lawson

[Bricklayer]

The interesting thing about this is the fact that Vlade pretty much publicly mocked Lawson after the notorious drunk loser vid he put out last summer.

Given that, as people have mentioned, this move doesn't track with anything we've done, or tried to do, all summer, it does unfortunately smack a little of desperation/throwback to PDA's hey let's gamble on any out of favor big name on the market strategy.

But you can take it tactically if you want, and say that we soberly took a look at the state of our roster and realized we needed a major offensive/creative force off the bench if we were going to score enough points to keep going. Now the interesting question becomes, if Collison misses 8-10 games, and Lawson starts and does well, did DC just domestic violence his way out of his starting job this season?

 

[ParniValjak]

I don't understand you all..how is Lawson worse than signing Tolliver and Temple?

You just don't get it. It is not just about talent. With Sacramento Kings and the laughing stock we have been for the best part of decade, first and foremost it is about the culture, building it, and setting that foundation down before you can start winning or taking on reclamation projects.

No one is doubting Lawson's talent. Hell some 12 months ago there was talk of wanting to trade for him. Based on talent alone, sure you take that gamble even though you have to question if his production in Denver over the years was inflated by the junk ball system that George Karl pushed.

If we are to put out this dumbster fire that we have had for a good part of decade, before we can start winning and getting our crap back together, it starts with building a culture, creating an environment where there is no blame game, there are no distractions, there is no infighting, there are no off court issues. We have had a horrible start to that with Collison's case and Rudy's displeasure. We hardly needed to add more fuel to the fire.

Now I will trust that our front office and the coach himself have done a mountain of checks here and are very confident where it is at. Coach Joerger, a bit like Adelman, is known for getting the best out of his players and dealing with different cats during his days at Memphis. But that was at Memphis where the culture was strong and where the locker room ran itself.

Temple and Tolliver just got voted team mates of the year for their respective teams last season. Those that pay attention can clearly see why some of those aspects would have been highly valued by the front office and the coach who want to build a culture. Both players also happen to fill the role that we need filled. They are not superstar signing by any stretch of the imagination. They are veteran guys, known for being excellent locker room veterans who are productive in the roles they are asked to play.

Now I sincerely hope that that Lawson is an absolute slam dunk for us. I hope that in some 10 months time we are talking about which one of Lawson and Collison do we want to keep as a starter going forward but to me it looks like that a combination of issues both on and off the court have turned Lawson into a shadow of the player he once was. One shining light is Joerger's ability to get talented players playing to their potential. He did a terrific job with Lance last season and there is clear hope that he can do the same thing with Lawson.

If Lawson comes in in great shape, freed of his demons so to speak and ready to work his tail off for the team and not necessarily for himself, this signing could be a slam dunk for us BUT I saiy again, this is the sort of move that teams very confident of their inner working so of the locker room and franchise in general and with strong culture take. Not team looking to set those foundations so that we can finally start moving in the right direction.

Again, I hope this is a slam dunk signing for us, best move off the off-season but I am not holding my breath.

 

[KingMilz]

Team needed talent and we got it, now the question is if the talent Lawson has he's still capable of using it.

 

[sono]

Get ready for Kangz mockery, our PG rotation is now a guy charged with domestic violence and a guy charged with DUI's. With that said I really hope Vlade only made this signing if Lawson promised him he is rehabilitated and ready to work hard and turn his career around.

It looks like the Kings PG spot is a rehab for disgruntled PGs and don't forget Rondo.

 

[gunks]

I don't hate it.

1 year deal isn't a risk. Dude is out of the league if he doesn't make it here, so one would hope he tries to get his **** together.

Worst case, he's awful and we're back at square one.... Best case, we have ourselves a potent scorer off the bench.

Obviously not a long term solution to our PG problem, but he could be a good bandaid until the trade deadline. It isn't like he's going to be a core player or anything.... Just a spark plug who may or may not come to games hammered.

 

[Iced Espresso]

They are all average to below average signings, we are talking about Ty Lawson here though...undersized, unwilling defender who was brought here because there are no other options available apparently, no body is making any trades by the looks of it.

The ball needs to go into the basket. Now our bench units chances to score have increased quite a bit.

 

[Iced Espresso]

The interesting thing about this is the fact that Vlade pretty much publicly mocked Lawson after the notorious drunk loser vid he put out last summer.

Given that, as people have mentioned, this move doesn't track with anything we've done, or tried to do, all summer, it does unfortunately smack a little of desperation/throwback to PDA's hey let's gamble on any out of favor big name on the market strategy.

But you can take it tactically if you want, and say that we soberly took a look at the state of our roster and realized we needed a major offensive/creative force off the bench if we were going to score enough points to keep going. Now the interesting question becomes, if Collison misses 8-10 games, and Lawson starts and does well, did DC just domestic violence his way out of his starting job this season?

Quite possible, and that's because the upside of Lawson is a decent possibility. I'm not sure we had that risk with what's left out there.

 

[Livinthedream]

It could be argued that the signing of a lot of high character guys afforded the Kings the ability to take a chance on one guy with questionable character.

 

[KingsFanSince85]

To me, this move just signals that Vlade and Coach Joerger acknowledge the team's shortcomings at the PG position and are willing to turn over all proverbial rocks for a stopgap. If Lawson works out, fantastic. If he doesn't, they'd be moving on to find a more permanent solution next season anyway.

 

[Iced Espresso]

 

[ockingsfan]

I think Vlade looked at our roster and had this conversation with Coach Joeger.

Vlade: "Well, Dave, we need to score more points than our opponents to win a game.... sooooo, who on our second unit will be able to carry the offense load when the starters are out???....

Dave: "Well there is, ummmm, huuhhhh, whoooooo?

Vlade: Well, there is that Lawson guy still out there.... he can score a bunch.....

Dave: But, but, but he doesn't really fit in with what we have been trying to do all summer.....

Vlade: Dave, Dave, Dave, but we still need to score more points than our opponents to win a game.....

Dave: OK, Vlade, let's do it

 

[Jimbob]

I think its great. I try to believe in 2nd chances, perhaps more in his case,when it comes to certain drugs and alcohol.
Also he's young and has talent. My guess is he will be very receptive to the coaching whereas Rondo is a bit questionable in that respect.

 

[PurpleHaze]

Agreed 2nd chances are perhaps warranted with Ty Lawson. But in fact it's more like at least 3rd or 4th chance as he's been arrested four times in the past for DUI plus domestic violence across several states. Let's hope he keeps his nose clean over the next year and takes advantage of a great opportunity to start being responsible adult instead of a problem child.

 

[kingsboi]

The ball needs to go into the basket. Now our bench units chances to score have increased quite a bit.

oh I see...so a guy that averaged 5.8 points in 53 games with Houston and 4.9 points in 13 games with Indiana will all of a sudden come in and put the ball in the basket? Ty has played disinterested since leaving Denver, even then...I questioned how much he wants to play sometimes, either way...he won't be here after this season so it's something to talk about until next off season

 

[DesertFox]

I'm predicting he gets cut before thanksgiving, but this is the kind of move you make when you have nothing to lose.

Hoping for a comeback, as unlikely as it is.

 

[PurpleHaze]

Ode to a bouncing Ty: It's efficiently bounce round ball (into to Big Cuz), not look to tip the bouncers (forget downtown saloons), no more aimlessly bouncing around association (just because you can), instead nice bounce back season 2016-17 with the Kings - Ok, got it, so go get 'em man. Best of luck!

 

[Jimbob]

So what's this mean for Rudy, Ben, Kosta trade rumors? That's a lot of guys under contract.
Guess we will see what Joerger can get out of this group and expect changes at the trade deadline.

 

[DesertFox]

There is a lot of mediocrity, hopefully something rises, and the sum is greater than the parts.

 

[206Fan]

Not a fan of Lawson because of his off-field issues. Ignoring that, I don't even think he's a high caliber PG anymore. I doubt he ever becomes a starting PG in the NBA again. His level of play has declined dramatically and he's a defensive liability.

However, I'm glad we at least addressed our PG position. I think if Lawson can get his act together and focus on his play, he'll become a good backup PG for us.

I still don't see a clear direction with this roster and team, but I think our PG position HAD to be addressed no matter what.

 

[206Fan]

You just don't get it. It is not just about talent. With Sacramento Kings and the laughing stock we have been for the best part of decade, first and foremost it is about the culture, building it, and setting that foundation down before you can start winning or taking on reclamation projects.

No one is doubting Lawson's talent. Hell some 12 months ago there was talk of wanting to trade for him. Based on talent alone, sure you take that gamble even though you have to question if his production in Denver over the years was inflated by the junk ball system that George Karl pushed.

If we are to put out this dumbster fire that we have had for a good part of decade, before we can start winning and getting our poopoo back together, it starts with building a culture, creating an environment where there is no blame game, there are no distractions, there is no infighting, there are no off court issues. We have had a horrible start to that with Collison's case and Rudy's displeasure. We hardly needed to add more fuel to the fire.

Now I will trust that our front office and the coach himself have done a mountain of checks here and are very confident where it is at. Coach Joerger, a bit like Adelman, is known for getting the best out of his players and dealing with different cats during his days at Memphis. But that was at Memphis where the culture was strong and where the locker room ran itself.

Temple and Tolliver just got voted team mates of the year for their respective teams last season. Those that pay attention can clearly see why some of those aspects would have been highly valued by the front office and the coach who want to build a culture. Both players also happen to fill the role that we need filled. They are not superstar signing by any stretch of the imagination. They are veteran guys, known for being excellent locker room veterans who are productive in the roles they are asked to play.

Now I sincerely hope that that Lawson is an absolute slam dunk for us. I hope that in some 10 months time we are talking about which one of Lawson and Collison do we want to keep as a starter going forward but to me it looks like that a combination of issues both on and off the court have turned Lawson into a shadow of the player he once was. One shining light is Joerger's ability to get talented players playing to their potential. He did a terrific job with Lance last season and there is clear hope that he can do the same thing with Lawson.

If Lawson comes in in great shape, freed of his demons so to speak and ready to work his tail off for the team and not necessarily for himself, this signing could be a slam dunk for us BUT I saiy again, this is the sort of move that teams very confident of their inner working so of the locker room and franchise in general and with strong culture take. Not team looking to set those foundations so that we can finally start moving in the right direction.

Again, I hope this is a slam dunk signing for us, best move off the off-season but I am not holding my breath.

I feel like the Kings/Vlade is being a bit hypocritical. He brings in high character guys while Dave talks about changing the culture here. However, in the end he ends up signing guys like Barnes and Lawson.

I just looked it up.... Lawson was also arrested for domestic violence, but the charges were later dropped. That guy is something.

Starting PG in trouble for domestic violence. Backup PG in trouble for multiple DUIs.

The Kings would be the organization to make a move like this. I hate the national narrative, but it's certainly another reason for them to pile up on us.

We now have 2 distractions on this team. I honestly didn't see this move coming at all. If things don't pan out, all we're going to hear about is how the Kings kept DC after his arrest, then signed Lawson who's had a hefty history. I would've thought Vlade would be the one to try to stay out of the light and deflect attention elsewhere.

 

[KingsFanGER]

So Lance Stephenson seems to be too much of a risk for our FO, although he fits the overall team concept and plays hard every night, but Ty Lawson, who showed no effort since leaving Denver, isn't a good defender, can't switch screens and has more severe and more recent offcourt issues is worth a gamble? Both aren't system guys, both need the ball and freedom to create their own offense, but Lance is a two way player.
I don't get it.
We had the opportunity to build a, lengthy, scrappy, physical, defensive minded and athletic team with guys entering their prime together this offseason. Yes it would have forced us to overpay for some players to make it work, but we had a chance to build a solid team.
Now we signed a bunch of low key veterans on semi big deals to have some kind of stopgap team. For what reason? Only to have the opportunity to go full rebuild, when DMC walks?
I'm fine with a rebuild. You can't undo the mistakes of a decade in a couple of years.
But at least be honest about it. Don't waste another year of DMC career.

 

[bajaden]

This is a low risk, high reward signing. So I'm not going to lose any sleep over it. The Kings will have a ton of capspace next offseason, so if Lawson doesn't work out, or even if he does, they'll have plenty of money to acquire good PG. The signing reminds me of the Rondo signing, another player that had a lot to prove. Don't see any reason why this couldn't work as well.

 

[KingsCitizen]

Dreams do come true. And this time Vlade granted a little wish from a vaping little dude that shouted "I'm going to Sacramento!" after the Nuggets drafted Mudiay. LOL

 

[KingsCitizen]

On a serious note. Lawson is an ideal stop gap while DC will take his suspension. Low risk, high reward.

 

[206Fan]

So Lance Stephenson seems to be too much of a risk for our FO, although he fits the overall team concept and plays hard every night, but Ty Lawson, who showed no effort since leaving Denver, isn't a good defender, can't switch screens and has more severe and more recent offcourt issues is worth a gamble? Both aren't system guys, both need the ball and freedom to create their own offense, but Lance is a two way player.
I don't get it.
We had the opportunity to build a, lengthy, scrappy, physical, defensive minded and athletic team with guys entering their prime together this offseason. Yes it would have forced us to overpay for some players to make it work, but we had a chance to build a solid team.
Now we signed a bunch of low key veterans on semi big deals to have some kind of stopgap team. For what reason? Only to have the opportunity to go full rebuild, when DMC walks?
I'm fine with a rebuild. You can't undo the mistakes of a decade in a couple of years.
But at least be honest about it. Don't waste another year of DMC career.

I don't see a real direction for this team. I've said this in other threads before, but I don't know what the plan is. We use 3 1st round picks on raw prospects who are probably a few years from doing good things on the court. We use our lotto pick on a C who is basically insurance at this point to replace Cousins.

For free agency, we decided to sign over the hill vets who don't propel us very far up.

So are we rebuilding, or are we doing a playoff push?

For the last 5 years, we've been doing neither. This can't be another year of being "stuck in the middle" again. Kings keep ending up in that column of not bad enough to win the lotto, but also not good enough to sniff the playoffs.

At this point, are we even fighting to keep Cousins here? Drafting Papagiannis was the last thing Vlade should've done if that was his major plan all along. It's not like we're short on Cs. We have Cousins, WCS, and Koufos. WCS is on a rookie deal. Koufos is on an amazing deal. Is the justification BPA? That's a crapty justification when you undoubtedly have the best C in the NBA locked up for 2 more years. If your plan isn't to trade him, why draft Papagiannis? If your plan is to trade him, why sign these vets? Why not target younger players?

Feels like we're right in the middle....yet again.

We've been "rebuilding" for 10 years now. The Sixers have been "rebuilding" for 4 years and have a much brighter future than we do. Hell, it only took the Blazers 1 offseason to completely blow up their roster and they still have a brighter future than we do.

 

[KingsFanGER]

This is a low risk, high reward signing. So I'm not going to lose any sleep over it. The Kings will have a ton of capspace next offseason, so if Lawson doesn't work out, or even if he does, they'll have plenty of money to acquire good PG. The signing reminds me of the Rondo signing, another player that had a lot to prove. Don't see any reason why this couldn't work as well.

Indeed - Lawson is a low risk, high reward signing. But when your coach is constantly talking about establishing a defensive mindset and claims, that it's not about winning now, but about establishing a certain culture this signing is a head scratcher.
Lawson is a veteran - so it's a win now move. Lawson isn't a defensive minded player - so he doesn't fit what our FO guys claim to be the new team identiy.

And on top of that DMC said, that "this is the year we turn it around". Now obviously this expresses, that he still has hope for SAC, but it's also an ultimatum, because we all know, what will most likely happen, if we once again fail to turn it around.
It seems to be now or never for Cousins in SAC. And 206 Fan has some solid points about this somehow weird two way strategy our FO most likely chose.
It's not wrong to plan for a future without DMC. But somehow it feels like we opted to sign those shortterm contracts and chose not to trade Cousins, because we don't want to open the new arena with a losing product, but we also didn't want to fully commit to a "keep Cousins at all costs-strategy" .
Is this the right thing to do moving forward?

 

[KingsFanGER]

We've been "rebuilding" for 10 years now. The Sixers have been "rebuilding" for 4 years and have a much brighter future than we do. Hell, it only took the Blazers 1 offseason to completely blow up their roster and they still have a brighter future than we do.

Good post, but I disagree on the Sixers. They have the assets, but not the executives to lead them to this bright future.

 

[King Baller]

To the Naysayers, what moves would you have made if you were GM?

I hear mention of Lance Stephenson and repeated chants of "I don't understand the plan."

The plan was to bring in an energetic young Coach with a positive attitude and a willingness to grind. Coach Joerger is on board.

The plan was to bring in taller better defenders who can hit a three point shot and the Front Office did that.

Ty Lawson was not the PG I wanted but if he comes into camp in shape he is only 28 and can score the ball and run a team. I'm glad Ty is here and I wish him the best. He has to stay sober.

As far as the draft Vlade turned Marco and the 8th into the 13th, 22nd, 28th and Bogdanovic. 4 young players to have on the bench for the next few years. One or two could end up in the rotation in time.

Overall I give Vlade and the Front Office a B grade. I am taking into account where the team was after the Malone firing and the previous years of Maloofism.

I think things are going to be all right

 

[Kingfanpaul]

I'm also in the giving second chances group, so I'm happy with this deal. It's just a one year deal which means the risk isn't very high. Yes, Lawson had a problem but hopefully with the help of rehab he has changed his ways. I'm willing to give him a shot. He's not that old and fills a need, so why not?

 

[ESP47]

In the end it's Vlade's job to win basketball games. He's not here to stockpile a bunch of nuns that top out at 25 wins a year.