According to a mock draft by ESPN’s Chad Ford, the Dallas Mavericks, with the 22nd overall pick, will select Ty Lawson, point guard from the national champion UNC Tarheels.
Of course, mock drafts are usually less than accurate, and ineffective with respect to just about every purpose they ostensibly serve other than, well, making us sportswriters talk about them on a slow day.
But the pick would be interesting, and kind of encouraging, if Lawson actually does slide to Dallas.
Ford cites the possible departure of Jason Kidd in his reasoning, saying, “J.J. Barea was good in the playoffs, but if Kidd looks to be leaving, the Mavericks will want a more classic point guard such as Lawson.”
Lawson has proven to be a field general or, I suppose, a court general over his career in Chapel Hill, leading the Tarheels, along with Tyler Hansbrough (who Ford projects going two picks ahead of Lawson) to a National Championship.
Lawson has speed to make a difference in space, and the quickness to dice through a jumbled front court; think Devin Harris but, possibly, faster and with significantly better quarterbacking skills.
The pick would certainly fit, particularly if Jason Kidd heads out of town this summer.
In fact, a Jason Kidd departure may turn out to be a positive for a Mavericks team who got significantly older with one fell deal in the winter of 2008.
Dallas Morning News’ Eddie Sefko has confirmed that two other point guards, Darren Collison and Patrick Mills, both of whom Ford projects in the mid to late twenties, will work out for Dallas.
The Mavericks will look to break a streak of completely ineffectual drafts; the last time the team picked a player who has made any significant impact was in 2003, when they selected Josh Howard out of Wake Forest.
