Published Jul 29, 2021
Martin on AJ Lawson: 'He's going to play in the NBA'
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Collyn Taylor  •  GamecockScoop
Beat Writer
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@collyntaylor

Sooner rather than later, Frank Martin is going to be watching AJ Lawson suit up for a NBA team.

Now it’s just a matter of how the former Gamecock guard finds his way into the league.

Lawson, like the rest of the NBA hopefuls, will get a clearer picture of their professional futures Thursday night with the NBA Draft, and there’s a chance, Martin said, of hearing his name called late Thursday night.

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“He’s going to play in the NBA. It’s just does he have to take the Chris Silva route or does he take the Sindarius route,” Martin said. “He’s going to play in the NBA.”

Martin said he’s optimistic Lawson will either hear his name called Thursday night—likely as a late second-round pick—or find his way into the NBA via a two-way contract, similar to a few other Gamecocks during Martin’s tenure in Columbia.

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If Lawson were to get plucked, he’d snap a four-year drought of Gamecocks being picked in the event, the last being Sindarius Thornwell who was chosen No. 48 overall in 2017 by the Bucks before starting his career with the Clippers.

Since then, PJ Dozier, Chris Silva and (while he didn’t play minutes for South Carolina) Brian Bowen have all signed two-way deals and logged minutes for a NBA team.

If Lawson were to make it to the NBA, either through the draft or a two-way deal, he’d become the fifth Gamecock to do so under Martin and the first who wasn’t on the Final Four team.

“He’s a winner. In life, you want to surround yourself with winners. I don’t care if you coach high school, college or the NBA. You can get around people who are winners,” Martin said. “Those are the people you want next to you. We got a feel for that in our locker room but it’s just a matter of time before someone in the NBA gets a feel for it too.”

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Lawson reclassified and enrolled early with the 2018 class at South Carolina, turning into a three-year starter for the Gamecocks when healthy.

Before an ankle injury ended his All-SEC Freshman season early, Lawson was averaging 13.4 points on 41.1 percent shooting, hauling in 4.3 rebounds and dishing 2.9 assists per game.

His scoring numbers stayed the same as a sophomore but he pieced together his best season during South Carolina’s tumultuous COVID year last season, averaging a career-high 16.6 points on 39.4 percent shooting (35.1 percent from three).

He’d have 1.2 assists and 4.1 rebounds per game and average 1.5 turnovers per game, a career low.

Since declaring for the draft a third and final time, Lawson’s earned his way into the NBA Combine where he stood out and has subsequently worked out for double digit NBA teams ahead of the draft, including his hometown Toronto Raptors.

Despite going through the process for a now third time, this is really the first one Lawson has been able to get out and visit with NBA scouting personnel and Martin said he’s done well in those interviews.

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“You don’t have to get 30 people to like you, you have to get one,” he said. “And AJ’s done an incredible job with growing up, embracing becoming a better player and what’s he’s done is now taken this moment to get in front of people—he couldn’t do it last year because of COVID—he’s gotten in front of facilities and had interviews one-on-one and people are starting to fall in love with him. Anyone who knows him understands why.”

The two-round, 60-pick NBA Draft begins at 7 p.m. on ABC/ESPN and Martin hopes one of the 30 teams calls Lawson’s name.

“You’re not getting a better human being. I’m not saying that to diminish his basketball talent,” Martin said. “At the end of the day, his work ethic, honesty and commitment are part of who he is as a human being and who we are as a teammate; his willingness to accept what you ask him to take on and willingness to not run away from responsibility. That’s everything you get with him and he’s a real good basketball player.”