There figures to be a battle for backup minutes at point guard for the Denver Nuggets. The candidates are Anthony Carter, Chauncey Billups' backup last season, and Ty Lawson, a rookie from North Carolina. There should be more backup minutes available than last season due to Nuggets coach George Karl wanting to cut some of the workload from Billups, who will be 33 when training camp starts.
Carter enters his fourth season with the Nuggets. He recently signed a one-year deal for the NBA minimum of $1.3 million. "(Carter's) loyalty to (Nuggets owner) Stan Kroenke, (Nuggets coach) George Karl and Denver is exemplary, rarely seen in professional athletics today," said Denver vice president of basketball operations Mark Warkentien about Carter's return.
Carter is determined to hold onto the backup role. But he will get a strong challenge from Lawson.
"I'm trying to prove I'm the best point guard in this class," said Lawson, of wanting to show he was the best at his position in the 2009 NBA draft.
Forget just limiting it to rookies. Lawson might already be one of the quickest players in the NBA. Cleveland guard Danny Green, who played with Lawson at North Carolina, said he has "one-in-a-million type speed."
"He goes up and down the court as fast as anybody in basketball," said Nuggets coach George Karl.
But can Lawson do other things well? That will determine how much he pushes Carter for backup minutes behind Billups.
