The young, explosive point guard for the Denver Nuggets is heading into the 2012-13 season with some high hopes. Despite the revamped Los Angeles Lakers roster and the returning players for the Oklahoma City Thunder, Lawson still believes the Nuggets are the best team in the Western Conference.
Lawson spoke to the Denver Post and he expressed the confidence he has in this team. Lawson talked about the depth on the roster and the athletic players around him.
“I think we’re the best team in the West.”
“We’re so deep, so talented, so versatile,” the point guard said at Monday’s media day. “You can’t just game-plan for one person on this team. I think we’ll be No. 1 in the West.”
On paper, it is hard to argue that the Nuggets are as talented as the Lakers or Thunder. The Lakers have the most talented starting five in the league and they can beat the Nuggets in at least four of the five positions. Yes, the Nuggets may be younger and more explosive, but the Lakers have experience and playoff poise.
Even though Denver has a nice nucleus of Lawson, JaVale McGee and Andre Iguodala, those three will have a tough time against the Lakers. Dwight Howard would have a field day against McGee and even though Lawson and Iguodala can outrun the Nash and Metta World Peace, the Lakers have two other starters capable of dominant games.
As for the Thunder, they resemble the Nuggets due to their youth and explosiveness, but they have the upper hand due to experience. The Thunder’s nucleus may still be in the early 20s, but they are surely capable of beating both the Lakers and Nuggets in the Western Conference.
So even though Ty Lawson is an excellent point guard, he may have gone overboard in saying the Nuggets are the best team in the West.