The Atlanta Hawks have moved on from AJ Lawson who the team trialed in their preseason of the 2021-22 season. Unfortunately for Lawson, he did not make the cut and instead played for the Hawks G League affiliate, the College Park Skyhawks.
The Candian guard played three seasons for South Carolina before trying to make the jump to the NBA prior to last season. Lawson averaged 14.2 points, 4.0 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 1.2 steals in 30.0 minutes per game.
Making the transition to the G League was a little challenging for Lawson. He played 13 games for the Skyhawks, starting in three of them. He averaged 7.6 points, 5.5 rebounds, 1.6 steals, and 0.9 assists in 24.9 minutes per game. His offense really spluttered, shooting at only 39.0 percent from the floor, 33.3 percent from 3-point land, and 75.0 percent from the line.
Former Atlanta Hawks training camp guard AJ Lawson played well in Summer League.
Per Shams of the Athletic, Lawson has signed with the Minnesota Timberwolves on a two-way deal. What this shows is that if you have a strong Summer League, there is always a scout or a member of a team’s front office taking notice.
You see, Lawson did not play for the Timberwolves Summer League team in the tournament. He actually played for the Dallas Mavericks in the tournament and averaged 15.6 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 1.4 assists in 29.5 minutes per game.
Not only did he put up good scoring numbers but he was incredibly efficient as well. He went 51.9 percent from the floor on 10.4 attempts. What is incredibly impressive is that he shot the ball at 50.0 percent from beyond the 3-point line.
Lawson is proof that if you have the talent and the work ethic you have the chance to make your way into the NBA. The Hawks roster had no room for a player like Lawson so the former South Carolina product went searching for a new home.