Ty Lawson Held Scoreless In Denver Nugget Loss to Utah Jazz
By Shane Phillips
@ShaneRantSports
Mark Konezny-USA TODAY Sports
Ty Lawson missed two games with a hamstring injury, and it looked like the Denver Nuggets were doing fine without him. They snapped a two game losing streak and went 2-0 in his absence. So, there wouldn’t be any problems when he returned Friday night against the Utah Jazz, right?
Wrong! Lawson was held scoreless and the Nuggets lost 103-93. It should have been an easy win for the Nuggets, who continue to find success with George Karl and a proven superstar. The Jazz were boosted to victory with a huge game by Gordon Hayward. The guard had 30 points, 13 rebounds and five assists, a bright spot in a dark season for Utah.
More importantly, if Denver wants to make a dent in the West or in the NBA Playoffs, they will need consistency and leadership out of Lawson. As the point guard and a veteran player, he has to come with intensity and focus every game. Even if Lawson isn’t going to score 20 points or more, he needs to find a way to still be productive. Whether it is assists or defense, he must find a way to be a factor.
I like the Denver team. There are a lot of interesting and fun players for first year coach Brian Shaw to work with, such as Nate Robinson and Wilson Chandler, I just don’t know if they have the star power to be a true threat to the leaders of the West. However, the Nuggets have proven us wrong in the years before.
Shane Phillips is an NBA Writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow Shane on Twitter @Smphil01, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.
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