TORONTO – Most Torontonians detest the town’s downtown site visitors however its gradual tempo gave A.J. Lawson the prospect to soak in the truth that he’s now a member of his hometown Raptors.
Lawson signed a two-way contract with Toronto and Raptors 905, its G-League affiliate, final Wednesday. He mentioned it didn’t sink in, nevertheless, till he was slowly driving as much as OVO Athletic Centre, the Raptors’ apply facility, for morning shootaround.
“I feel it most likely is gonna hit me once more once I line up for ‘O Canada’ and the nationwide anthems,” mentioned Lawson on Monday earlier than Toronto’s 122-121 loss to the Chicago Bulls. “Undoubtedly going to have my second there once more, for positive.
“I’ve received to verify my head is stage and have a pleasant, sturdy focus for the sport.”
Lawson lined up for the nationwide anthems beside his childhood buddy RJ Barrett. Each grew up in neighbouring Mississauga, Ont., and performed basketball collectively in center and highschool.
Their paths to the NBA have been very completely different although.
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Barrett was picked third total by the New York Knicks within the 2019 NBA Draft, making his professional debut the following season.
Lawson went undrafted earlier than becoming a member of the Faculty Park Skyhawks, the minor league membership for the Atlanta Hawks, in 2022. He then performed a season with the Canadian Elite Basketball League’s Guelph Nighthawks that summer time, a choice that he mentioned put him on a path to the NBA as a result of it received him in form to hitch the Dallas Mavericks’ summer time league staff.
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“I used to be prepared after that off the get go, after which that’s how I received my first two-way contract after that,” mentioned Lawson within the Raptors locker room. “I really feel just like the CEBL was an awesome stepping-stone for me, get my confidence, get me in sport form, and maintain me in focus and able to ball out.”
Lawson has profession averages of three.4 factors, 1.2 rebounds and seven.4 minutes in 57 profession NBA video games with Dallas and the Minnesota Timberwolves over the past two seasons.
Throughout this span, he additionally averaged 21.1 factors, 6.6 rebounds and 34.1 minutes in seven video games with the Texas Legends within the 2023-24 G League season and 20 factors, 7.4 rebounds and 31.9 minutes in 22 video games with the Legends, Iowa Wolves and Faculty Park within the 2022-23 marketing campaign.
The six-foot-six, 185-pound guard Lawson averaged 24 factors, 6.6 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 35.1 minutes in 11 video games (all begins) this season with the Lengthy Island Nets, the G League affiliate of the Brooklyn Nets, earlier than signing with the Toronto group.
“We’re very excited to have him with our staff,” mentioned Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic. “I had an opportunity to talk with him this morning as properly. He’s very, very excited, clearly it is a dream coming true for him to be taking part in for the Raptors.
“We’re excited to be taught extra about him, his sport and to assist him out on his path.”
Lawson’s decided to assist in any approach he can, particularly as Toronto continues to wrestle with accidents to key gamers comparable to all-star Scottie Barnes, level guard Immanuel Quickley, and centre Jakob Poeltl.
“My objective is simply to remain prepared each time they name me, right now or the following sport or each time,” mentioned Lawson. “I simply need to keep prepared and present that I’m an NBA participant, that I can defend at a excessive stage, shoot the ball at a excessive stage.
“Simply maintain being me, taking part in in transition, and being man, being an power man, utility man.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first revealed Dec. 16, 2024.
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© 2024 The Canadian Press
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