DALLAS — A.J. Lawson is coming off a rookie campaign that primarily featured him playing for the Dallas Mavericks' G League affiliate — the Texas Legends — while being signed to a two-way contract. He appeared in 14 of his 15 NBA regular season appearances with the Mavs.
“It’s been a journey for sure,” Lawson told Mavs.com. “There’s been ups and downs in my journey, but I’m glad I’m here.
“Right now I’m with Dallas, and it’s the perfect situation for me," Lawson said. "I feel like I’m going to have my time to really break out this year. That’s the goal for sure.”
After going undrafted in the 2022 NBA Draft, opportunities were limited for Lawson. He began the season with the Minnesota Timberwolves on a two-way contract, but was later waived — enabling the Mavs to sign him to the same deal through 2023-24. During the G League regular season, he averaged 20.1 points, 8.9 rebounds, and 1.4 assists in 29.7 minutes per game.
Lawson receive more of a chance to showcase his abilities when the team opted to sit healthy players for the final two games of the season. He averaged 11.5 points and 5.5 rebounds in 23 minutes per game during this span.
“The last two games of the season I got to play significantly more, and it was a blessing,” Lawson said. “The fans got to see what I can do."
In terms of what he's displayed, Lawson feels as though he made his athleticism and effort known to the Mavs. Going forward, he envisions that being a helpful way he can contribute to a team that needs 3-and-D impact around Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving.
“They know I can shoot and they know I’ve got athleticism because they saw the put-back dunks and the transition dunks," Lawson said. "Every time I go on the court I just want to be the best A. J. Lawson I can be, and play with all heart and energy, and that’s what the team needs.”
In order for Lawson to reach that next step in his development, he's been focused on working with the Mavs' coaching staff. A particular focus has been improvement in his ball handling and decision making with the help of God Shammgod.
“So far this summer I’ve been here in Dallas training with the Mavs’ staff and working on gaining weight,” Lawson said. “I’ve been working on my shot to get it consistent, and also I’ve been working with (player development coach God) Shammgod on my ball-handling. I’ve been trying to get my decision-making and my ball-handling skills all streaming together.”
The next chance to see the final product of Lawson's hard work will be in Las Vegas when he participates with the Summer Mavs. The event will be held from July 7-17.
Grant Afseth is a Dallas Mavericks reporter for DallasBasketball.com and an NBA reporter for NBA Analysis Network. He previously covered the Indiana Pacers and NBA for CNHI's Kokomo Tribune and various NBA teams for USA TODAY Sports Media Group. Follow him on Twitter (@grantafseth), Facebook (@grantgafseth), and YouTube (@grantafseth).
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