Ty Lawson Shining Amidst Denver Nuggets’ Struggles

Lawson Nuggets Rockets
Soobum Im – USA Today Sports Images

The Denver Nuggets had to have known that they were going to face some hardships at the beginning of the 2013-14 NBA season. You don’t start the season with a new head coach, new starting center, your best player out with a knee injury, and without your best player from last year and just pick up right on the 57-win pace that you left off on.

The issues for the Nuggets have been plentiful to start the year. All of the things that were potential worries heading into this season have come to fruition and it has resulted in sloppy play at times. Throw in the recent injury to JaVale McGee and matters are only getting worse for this team.

Among all of the poorly executed offensive sets, convoluted rotations, injuries and bad defense, though, point guard Ty Lawson has continued to look like the emerging star on this team that is, for lack of a better term, starless.

Through the first eight games of the season, Lawson was averaging 20.4 points, 7.6 assists, 4.8 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game. He was shooting just 42.7 percent from the floor and only 31.3 percent from three, but much of that is due to the fact that he’s relied on so heavily by the Nuggets that defenses are, at times, able to make life a little difficult for the point guard.

After already starting the season strong, Lawson submitted his best performance of the year so far on Saturday night in a losing effort against the Houston Rockets. In 39 minute son the floor, Lawson put up 28 points and 17 assists while shooting 11-19 from the field and 2-4 from three. He also added two rebounds and two steals on the night as well.

Though Denver may be struggling, Lawson is showing his immense talent-level. He’s doing his best to elevate the play of those around him as one of the only guys seeing big minutes consistently. If he’s able to continue this play and the Nuggets are able to pick up a new system better and get healthy, they could make a late push for a playoff spot.

Cody Williams is a Senior Writer with Rant Sports. Follow Cody on Twitter @TheSizzle20, add him on Google and like his Facebook page.

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