Ty Lawson has to get his personal life in order before he can make a major impact with the Houston Rockets but he has taken steps in the right direction with rehab. It should only be a matter of time before he is ready to make a sizable impact on a team that’s so close to winning a championship.
Lawson will slot in as the Rockets’ starting point guard this season and while basketball fans in Houston hope he can help their team get over the top, the fantasy GM’s only care about what kind of impact he will have in terms of his individual statistics and the numbers his new teammates. Here is a look at what the addition of Lawson means for the individual fantasy value of the key Rockets players this season.
James Harden, Shooting Guard
Fantasy Impact: No Change
Houston ranked sixth in the NBA in point per game last season and Harden was an absolute fantasy superstar, averaging a team-high 27.4 points and 7.0 assists as well as 5.7 rebounds and 1.9 steals per game. Harden’s point total will not change and while conventional wisdom might make you think his assist total could dip, the reality is that he this offense still revolves around him. That number might not change much. Harden is an elite fantasy shooting guard and Lawson’s addition won’t change much in terms of his overall fantasy statistics this season. In reality, he’ll probably be a little fresher in late-game situations, not having to dribble the ball up the court as much.
Dwight Howard, Center
Fantasy Impact: Slightly Improved
The addition of a pure passing point guard like Lawson could help Howard’s fantasy value with more open looks under the basket off pick-and-rolls and other set plays. Lawson is also a great passer and a great penetrator, which should lead to more easy buckets for Howard.
The key for Howard will be his ability to stay healthy for the full year after he was limited to 41 appearances last season. Howard averaged 15.8 points, 10.5 rebounds and 1.29 blocks per game and if he can play at least 70 games, his overall fantasy value will obviously improve.
Ty Lawson, Point Guard
Fantasy Impact: Slight Decline
Lawson averaged 15.2 points, 9.6 assists and 3.1 rebounds in 35.5 minutes per game in 75 appearances for Denver last season and while his point total should suffer a slight decline, with more talent around him in Houston, his improved assist total should help offset that. He’ll have to deliver early and often, though, as the team’s former starting point guard, Patrick Beverley, will be looking over his shoulder.
Trevor Ariza, Small Forward
Fantasy Impact: No Change
Ariza thrived in the first season of a four-year deal with Houston as he averaged 12.8 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game. While Lawson’s arrival likely won’t have a major impact on his overall fantasy value, whether Howard can stay healthy will. Only Harden and Howard had higher average points per game for the Rockets than Ariza last season and if Howard misses extensive time again, it will be Ariza that steps up and fills an even bigger scoring role once again.
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Patrick Beverley, Point Guard
Fantasy Impact: Decline
The addition of Lawson hurts Beverley’s value by pushing him to the No. 2 point guard role, which automatically drops his value. With rumors that Houston is also close to signing veteran Jason Terry, one would have to wonder if Beverley becomes a trade chip at some point in the season. He’s expected to come off the bench as the Rockets’ No. 2 point guard but his troubles staying healthy combined with the arrivals of Lawson and potentially Terry will take a big bite out of his production.
Donatas Motiejunas, Power Forward
Fantasy Impact: Slightly Improved
Motiejunas is an interesting players based on the fact that he’s a 25-years-old that averaged 12.0 points, 5.9 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 71 games for Houston last season. Motiejunas’ value is obviously directly tied to Howard’s health but the addition of another creative playmaker means he’ll get the ball in better spots to score and produce.
