Ty Lawson and Darren Collison A Hit on the Court Together

For the first time, this preseason the Kings experimented with the pairing of Ty Lawson and Darren Collison on the court together and it was met with rave reviews.  This article examines that pairing further including the advantages and disadvantages it leads to on the court.

The Sacramento Kings had their share of season firsts against Maccabi Haifa.  It was their first game in the new arena, their first win this season, and the first time they experimented with a two point guard line-up.  The latter was met with rave reviews and brought a different dimension to the Kings attack.  Let us dive deeper into the pairing of Ty Lawson and Darren Collison and what to expect going forward.

Coach Joerger’s Thoughts

Below is a tweet from Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee featuring a video of Coach Dave Joerger discussing playing Ty Lawson and Darren Collison together for the first time this season.

I found many things he said very interesting.  He stated that he has not used the line-up even in practice, which seemed strange to throw it out there in a game cold turkey.  I think he liked what he saw and it was a different dynamic than any other Kings rotation he can throw out there.  For a different perspective let us hear what DeMarcus Cousins had to say about that pairing.

DeMarcus Cousins’ Take

Below is another tweet from Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee featuring DeMarcus Cousins’ post game comments on the two point guard rotation the Kings played during the game.

As you can hear, DeMarcus Cousins was impressed and believes the pairing has the potential to be dynamic.  Let us dive deeper into the two players playing together.

Advantages to Playing Them Together

My favorite part of playing Ty Lawson and Darren Collison together is the dynamic nature of the offense.  Both players are extremely quick and it allows them to create havoc and use their speed to fast break and make plays.

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Both players are also willing passers.  The Kings can put the ball in either player’s hand and allow them to create the offensive set.  Collison is underrated corner three-point shooter sinking 46.5% for his career courtesy of Basketball-Reference.  The Kings could create some very effective offense by putting the ball in Lawson’s hands and freeing Collison in the corner.

It makes life hard on any defense.  Defenders will not know what to expect especially early in the season and it gives the Sacramento offense a completely new wrinkle.  I think that is always effective in the short term and it will be interesting to see how defenses adjust as the season continues.

Disadvantages to Playing Them Together

The biggest disadvantage is defense.  Lawson is listed at 5’11 and Collison at 6’0, so they lack the height and length to defend bigger guards.  In the last two seasons, both players rated out poorly defensively and asking them to play on the court together could create a defensive liability.

A current disadvantage might be comfort with each other and just working out the kinks on offense.  It will take some time to mesh together and decide who is running the set and where to be.  I feel like this pairing could be dangerous and a fun wrinkle to throw out there against the right match-up, but the Kings have to practice it and get comfortable with Lawson and Collison sharing the court and the ball handling duties.

Summary

The Sacramento Kings produced a new wrinkle in their game against Maccabi Haifa playing Ty Lawson and Darren Collison together.  The pairing was met with rave reviews by Coach Joerger and DeMarcus Cousins.  The pairing should be very advantageous on offense but could be lacking on the defense end of the floor.

It will be very interesting to see if the Kings continue to play this pairing together and how effective it is against NBA competition.  I look for Coach Joerger to play this pairing over the final three preseason games and build a little comfort before Collison’s 8-game suspension kicks in to start the regular season.  Once he returns, I expect the pairing to return and I am personally excited to view its effectiveness this season.  Something to watch for Kings fans throughout the season.  Thank you for reading.