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Lawson still confident of NBA draft chances

'I made a mistake' drinking, driving, potential Nuggets pick says

By Aaron J. Lopez, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Published June 10, 2008 at 4 p.m.
Updated June 11, 2008 at 12:10 p.m.

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Lawson worked out Tuesday for the Nuggets.

Photo by Associated Press

Lawson worked out Tuesday for the Nuggets.

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If Ty Lawson is concerned his recent arrest will diminish his value in the upcoming NBA draft, he certainly didn't show it Tuesday at the Pepsi Center.

Lawson, cited in Chapel Hill, N.C., last week for underage drinking and driving, looked relaxed and spoke with confidence after his workout with the Nuggets.

"I'm not like a troublemaker who gets into trouble all the time," he said. "It's not like I was driving around just hammered, drunk. I was below the legal limit (for DUI), so I don't think it should have any effect."

Lawson, 20, averaged 12.7 points and 5.2 assists as a sophomore for North Carolina last season. He has not hired an agent and plans to return to school if he doesn't think he will be among the top 20 selections in the June 26 draft.

Lawson seemed to be a lock for the top 20 after a strong showing at the predraft camp in Orlando, Fla., but his arrest Friday raised some questions about his judgment and character.

"I should have been a little more responsible," he said. "I shouldn't have even been out. It's part of growing up."

Lawson said he thought it was going to be a "routine stop" when he was pulled over near his Chapel Hill home. He said the officer told him he had been playing his music too loud on a street two or three miles away from where he was stopped.

"I made a mistake, but I also think that it's unjustified," he said.

After passing roadside sobriety tests, Lawson said he agreed to a Breathalyzer test, which registered .03. Under North Carolina law, a person is considered intoxicated if they have a blood-alcohol level of .08 or higher. Lawson was cited for driving by a person younger than 21 years old after consuming alcohol.

"If I was 21, I'd have been good," he said.

Lawson, a 5-foot-11 point guard whose quickness and passing ability would suit the Nuggets' uptempo style, also dismissed rumors Denver executives promised to select him if he available at No. 20.

"I've heard there's an interest in me (from the Nuggets), but there was no promise," he said.

Tuesday's workout was closed to the media, but Nuggets coach George Karl said Lawson "played very well."

As for Lawson's lapse in judgment, Karl said that will be considered as part of the big picture on draft night.

"There's always concern when red lights go on, but I think we've got to continue the process," he said. "We were not going to throw him out because of that right now."

Staff writer Chris Tomasson contributed to this report.