AJ Lawson on a 2-way

[kekgeek]

The Minnesota Timberwolves are signing G/F AJ Lawson to a two-way NBA deal, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. Lawson had a strong summer league for Dallas, averaging 15.6 points and six rebounds in five games.

[Camden [enjin:6601484]]

I like it. A.J. Lawson -- Anthony Randolph Lawson -- can play. Really long wing that can fill it up if needed or focus on his role as a complimentary piece. Thought he was a solid player at South Carolina where I saw him most, but needed further development and refinement. Had a great Summer League and just turned 22-years old. He'll be fun to follow on this two-way contract.

[Leado01]

Is the nickname Maple Jordan already taken?

[Lipoli390]

We'll, I guess Kevon Harris is out of the picture now. :(

[Lipoli390]

AJ Lawson and Kevon Harris had nearly identical Summer League stats, although I'd say Kevon's were slightly better. But note that Kevon's plus/minus was 0 while Lawton's was -10. Looks like Lawson was a loser compared to Kevon. :)

[Lipoli390]

He's really skinny. Was 176 lbs coming out of college. Not a good three-point shooter his three years in college. But he looked good from behind the arc in summer league. Is he the next Reggie Miller?

[Lipoli390]

Just noticed. Had terrible shooting stats in 13 G-League games last season. Shot 39% from the field and 33.3% from behind the arc. Only got to the line 1.5 times. Not much of a dribble drive game. He rebounds well statistically. But otherwise, he just looks like a perimeter shooter who didn't shot well from behind the arc in college or the G-League and who was bad overall from the field in the G-League. I guess our scouts see something in him. He looks athletic and bouncy. And the shooting form looks good. But his shooting and overall skill set seems unimpressive.

[Camden [enjin:6601484]]

Just noticed. Had terrible shooting stats in 13 G-League games last season. Shot 39% from the field and 33.3% from behind the arc. Only got to the line 1.5 times. Not much of a dribble drive game. He rebounds well statistically. But otherwise, he just looks like a perimeter shooter who didn't shot well from behind the arc in college or the G-League and who was bad overall from the field in the G-League. I guess our scouts see something in him. He looks athletic and bouncy. And the shooting form looks good. But his shooting and overall skill set seems unimpressive.

Lip, A.J. Lawson shot 48.1-percent from the field and 33.8-percent from three on 4.5 attempts per game in 33 contests. He also had a positive 2.6 net rating over that sample size, for what it's worth. So, still some work to do from behind the arc, but passable if he can contribute elsewhere.

Edit: I checked Basketball Reference to see what their numbers for him were. I think you pulled stats from his 13 games in the Showcase. I think that's the mixup.

[Lipoli390]

Just noticed. Had terrible shooting stats in 13 G-League games last season. Shot 39% from the field and 33.3% from behind the arc. Only got to the line 1.5 times. Not much of a dribble drive game. He rebounds well statistically. But otherwise, he just looks like a perimeter shooter who didn't shot well from behind the arc in college or the G-League and who was bad overall from the field in the G-League. I guess our scouts see something in him. He looks athletic and bouncy. And the shooting form looks good. But his shooting and overall skill set seems unimpressive.

Lip, A.J. Lawson shot 48.1-percent from the field and 33.8-percent from three on 4.5 attempts per game in 33 contests. He also had a positive 2.6 net rating over that sample size, for what it's worth. So, still some work to do from behind the arc, but passable if he can contribute elsewhere.

Ah. Thanks, Cam. I was looking at his Showcase Cup stats. You're right about his regular season stats. Much better, although still not impressive from behind the arc especially when considered in juxtaposition to his unimpressive 3-point stats in college. But I can see some merit to the signing. I would have given the two-way to Harris (or McClung if he's gettable). But alas, I have no say in the Wolves organization. That's probably a good thing. :)

[Camden [enjin:6601484]]

I would have given the 23-year old Mac McClung an identical contract to the one Josh Minott just signed -- even at the expense of not having Austin Rivers on the roster, though I recognize that signing as a solid one in its own right. I think passing over McLung will eventually prove to be a missed opportunity. Perhaps McLung had no interest in coming to Minnesota, however, I don't buy that.

A.J. Lawson is three years younger than Kevon Harris and has an intriguing profile as a player. I think he's worthy of that two-way contract. I'm still expecting Nathan Knight to return on the two-way deal the Timberwolves already tendered him. That should wrap up the off-season acquisitions, assuming they leave a vacant roster spot for the sake of flexibility.