All joking aside, Lawson is a good player

If teams can get beyond his height, there is a lot to like about Ty Lawson’s ability to play point guard, scouts say. (Paul Sancya/Associated Press files)

TUALATIN, Ore. — Ty Lawson’s childlike personality used to draw as much attention as his game.

He stunned teammate Wayne Ellington one night by wearing Scooby-Doo socks during a high school basketball game, and didn’t leave his love for cartoons behind when his career moved on to North Carolina.

He carried a SpongeBob SquarePants backpack while starring for the Tar Heels, and sometimes wore hats, shorts and shoelaces featuring the Nickelodeon character.

Teammate Danny Green even described him as being "like a little kid" during Lawson’s sophomore year.

But that kid grew up in a big way during the last year. The 6-foot point guard became more serious about his game and emerged as the leader of a dominating national championship team. Lawson improved his shooting, his efficiency running the offense in half-court sets, and developed into a dominant on-ball defender.

"Last year I played a couple jokes, things like that," Lawson said after working out for the Portland Trail Blazers on Tuesday. "This year I’m a lot more worried about my body, taking care of my body and getting ready for things like that. So I feel like I’ve matured a lot more."

And pro teams are starting to notice as Thursday’s NBA Draft approaches. Lawson is projected to be selected in the top 20, and Portland and Atlanta — teams who are drafting 19th or later — were squeezing him in for workouts in the two days before the draft.

In fact, Lawson was in Portland for a workout on Tuesday specifically because his agent, Jeffrey Fried, told him Portland was looking to move up from the 24th pick.

That interest is a big turnaround from the early draft process, when Lawson was knocked for being too small for an NBA point guard.

But look beyond the height, and there is much to like, said Chad Buchanan, the Blazers director of college scouting.

Lawson has a strong build, which Buchanan compared to an NFL halfback. His speed is also widely praised and may neutralize his size disadvantage against bigger, longer pro players, Buchanan said.

"It is the first thing you notice about him physically," Buchanan said. "But you put him on the court, his speed is going to stand out. ... And lots of times a guy who’s that small will get swallowed up a little bit, but he’s also got some physicality to him despite being small in stature, where he can take some hits from bigger players and still finish plays."

And where a less-mature Lawson made his name as a prolific fast-break player, last year’s grown-up version made waves with his well-rounded play.

He set an Atlantic Coast Conference single-season record with a 3.49-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio. Buchanan said he was a key component in North Carolina’s development from a quick-striking fast-break team to a balanced offense that could score efficiently in half-court sets as well.

Lawson also showed a remarkable blend of poise and aggressive playmaking. He had more takeaways (75 steals) as a senior than giveaways (66 turnovers), and swung the momentum of the national championship game lopsidedly in Carolina’s favor by making a record seven steals, six of which came in the first half.

The successes showed how the joking, youthful point guard had developed into a focused and committed adult better prepared to embark on a pro career.

"Talking to all the North Carolina kids we’ve had come through here, I think they were all geared in to trying to win a ring," Buchanan said. "That can mature you when you take away some of your ego a little bit, sacrifice for the team, and that’ll mature a kid. And I think that’s what happened with him."