Ty Lawson a steal for the Heels
By FRANK DASCENZO
February 2, 2007
In 20 minutes against an overmatched Miami on a lazy Wednesday night at the Smith Center, North Carolina freshman point guard Ty Lawson swished one of his three 3-pointers.
Quickly, as if there is any other way under the scrutiny of Roy Williams, the Tar Heels were on defense, setting up to stop any Hurricanes penetration. Lawson, to the surprise of none of his teammates, was the first UNC player back on defense, this time fronting Anthony Harris.
The fact the Heels are 20-2, 6-2 ACC is no surprise. They were picked to be the monster in the ACC in 2007, a deep team with speed, shooters, defenders and when somebody might not be necessarily hot, Williams can find somebody who is -- and in a hurry. But look no further than Lawson's amazing maturity as a rookie guard as to one of the main reasons UNC will be a tough out in the NCAA Tournament.
"Quick," said Tyler Hansbrough when I asked him to select a word to best describe the Heels' starting point guard. "Look at the things he does -- he shoots well, he passes well, he defends and he's a leader. He can pull up and take the 3-pointer at any time or he can get the ball inside to our big guys."
The attention Lawson got after the Heels won easily at Arizona last Saturday was expected. Those 18 points/8 assists/1 turnover/4 steals in 30 minutes impressed those few who might still be questioning the youth of UNC's backcourt.
"We look to penetrate," Hansbrough said. "Ty does that well, but he can fool a defense because when he comes dribbling down he can pull up and hit a shot just as easily as he does pass one."
The Heels' depth against Miami was remarkable. Quentin Thomas came in at the point for 11 minutes and got eight assists. That caught the attention of most people, but there was Wes Miller, nailing a couple of 3-pointers to go along with a couple of airballs. Who's counting though when an offense seems to be in such high gear?
"Point guards who come in here get better," said Miller. "Look at Quentin, look at Raymond [Felton]. We're a better team when players improve, and Coach [Roy] Williams pushes everybody in the program -- and he's especially tough on point guards."
Ty Lawson is a 5-11 playmaker who, as Hansbrough and Miller have learned, uses instincts to direct the UNC attack which, when moving with the quickness Williams desires, can be awfully efficient.
"I really think the sky is the limit with Ty Lawson," Miller said. "There really is nothing he cannot do on the basketball court. That doesn't mean there's not room for improvement. And that's what's so great about him; he can be so much better. I think that's why you see Coach Williams push him harder, to make better decisions. It's going to be like Raymond when he was a freshman. Everybody was impressed with what he did. And then, head over heels, he was a better player as a junior. I think you'll see that with Ty."
Miller says the Heels rely on Lawson's instincts as much as anything, as good a reason as any for the quality shooting. "He has a knack for getting open and finding the open man," Miller said. "Knowing when to get his shot, when to kick it out and knowing when to go in transition. He sees the floor really well. And he can knock down the outside shot.
"No question, when you play with somebody like Lawson, it makes everybody on the floor better. He makes you look good out there and that's what you want out of your point guard. And, on the other side of things, playing against him in practice -- trying to guard him -- that just prepares us so much more for games."
It's obvious the Tar Heels have a real gem in their starting point guard.
