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Acie Law profile
Drafted #11 in the 2007 NBA Draft by the Hawks
Height: 6'3" (191 cm)
Weight: 186 lbs (84 kg)
Position: PG
High School: Justin F. Kimball High School (Texas)
Hometown: Dallas, TX
College: Texas A&M
Current Team: Texas A&M
Win - Loss: 20 - 14

Articles

DraftExpress All-Summer League: Honorable Mention

Matt Williams
Matt Williams
Aug 05, 2007, 03:48 pm
With Al Horford only playing in only a couple of Atlanta’s Summer League games, fellow rookie Acie Law stole the show for the Hawks. Law was second on the team in scoring, behind Shelden Williams, and more than held his own against the other NBA-caliber lead guards in Salt Lake City. Displaying great court vision, Law ran the point as well as any point guard we saw this summer not named Jose Juan Barea.

One of the least recognizable, but most impressive qualities that Law displayed was an innate ability to drive to the rim and find open teammates without hurting the flow of the offense. Every time he touched the ball he was looking to make a play, and consistently made good decisions when defenses were collapsing around him. Though he still plays a very cerebral game, Law showed some uncharacteristic creativity in finding him teammates, dropping some nice no-look passes and making a lot of flashy passes that you wouldn’t normally expect from him. Law may not wow anyone with his speed, but he did a good job of controlling tempo and possesses a deceptive first step.

When it came to creating his own offense, Law proved to be a highly capable mid-range shooter, even with a hand in his face. Law effectively uses his size to get shots off over other point guards, and though he doesn’t always get a lot of separation, he compensates with great touch. While his field goal percentage wasn’t stellar, it was very good considering how often he was forced to hoist up shots with the shot clock winding down. Law may not get to the rim as well as most point guards in the League, but he has a very nice midrange game, which will should be a major boost to a Hawks rosters that has more than a few slashers. The one aspect of the game the Law will need to work on immediate is long-range shooting. He attempted only 5 3-pointers in the Summer League, but decidedly avoided taking shots from as close as 20 feet. As time goes on, Law should be able to translate his jumper to the outside without a lot of trouble.

Law won’t blow anyone away with his production this year, but he is going to be a very nice asset for the Hawks. He has a veteran-like swagger in his game that should rub off on his teammates over time. Though he is limited in some ways by his athleticism, he does a good job of compensating on both ends of the floor. His defense is still a bit sloppy at times, but he doesn’t give up anything easy in the flow of the game. Law should make an immediate impact for the Hawks off the bench, and should make some nice contributions throughout his first season.

NCAA Tournament: Stock Watch (Sweet 16, Thursday games)--Down/Neutral

Rodger Bohn
Rodger Bohn
Jonathan Givony
Jonathan Givony
Mike Schmidt
Mike Schmidt
Jonathan Watters
Jonathan Watters
Joey Whelan
Joey Whelan
Mar 23, 2007, 05:25 am
Considering his numbers—well below his season averages—and the fact that his team lost in the most disappointing way possible, some might be surprised to find Acie Law in this column rather than in the “stock down” section. If you think that his NBA draft stock will end up falling, though, due to this one performance, then we are here to disagree with you.

Law actually started off this game quite strong, scoring 8 points in the first half and doing a very solid job running his team despite not racking up a lot of assists. He took what this very stingy and athletic Memphis team gave him, doing a nice job of pushing the ball forward, putting pressure on the defense, and not being content with just grinding out the clock. He showed the scoring tools he has in his arsenal, whether it’s through pump-fakes, pull-ups from mid-range, baseline fadeaways, or just generally keeping the defense off-balance with his herky-jerky style of play.

The problems Law faced came not in terms of creating his own shot in the half-court, but rather finishing at the basket once he was in the lane. He lacks a bit of explosiveness to finish strong in traffic, and had a number of shots roll out that he usually would find a way to cajole in due to his craftiness and terrific touch. It’s no secret that guards like him usually need to rely more on their mid-range game in the NBA than they do at the collegiate level, but we’ve seen enough from him in this area over the year to have confidence in him finding a way.

Defensively, Law did a better job than we’re usually accustomed to seeing, elevating his play on this side of the court as you’d hope players would in such an important setting. He showed some hustle getting on the floor and in the passing lanes, coming up with a few loose balls in the process.

In the second half Law looked pretty out of sync as a whole and not anywhere near the incredible clutch performer we’ve grown to love in the last five minutes of games. He hit one short jumper in the lane off his own offensive rebound with approximately 3:30 to go, but other than that didn’t score a single point in the last 8 minutes 48 seconds, only taking 3 shots during that stretch. One of those misses will probably haunt him for the rest of his career, a blown wide-open layup with 52 seconds to go that essentially was the difference between A&M winning or losing this game. It’s incredibly uncharacteristic for him to miss like that, but at the end of the day, it’s hard to see how you can just forget everything he’s done over the past few years just because of that one terrible moment. We’ll have to see what others think before we come to a final conclusion, but it’s our gut feeling that he will still be considered the top point guard prospect in this draft until someone else proves otherwise.

NCAA Tournament: Stock Watch (round of 32, Saturday games)--Stock Up

Rodger Bohn
Rodger Bohn
Jonathan Givony
Jonathan Givony
Mike Schmidt
Mike Schmidt
Joseph Treutlein
Joseph Treutlein
Joey Whelan
Joey Whelan
Mar 17, 2007, 04:08 pm
Acie Law had a strong, yet unorthodox game to lead the Aggies past Louisville in the second round of the NCAA tournament, scoring 26 points but only dishing out one assist. Louisville controlled the tempo for the vast majority of the game, using a hard full-court press to keep Texas A&M out of any semblance of rhythm on the offensive end. Their defense cut off Law’s passing lanes and forced him to create offense for himself, which he didn’t have much problem doing.

Law scored in a variety of ways in the game, showing off his ability to drive to the basket, his mid-range game, his long-range game, and his absolutely tremendous body control in all aspects of his game. Whether he’s going to the rim and drawing contact, pulling up for a jumper from 15 feet, or catching and shooting a three-pointer on the move in transition, Law does an excellent job of staying under control and keeping his shooting form consistent even while moving at very high speeds.

Law did most of his damage on the game by pulling up for floaters and jumpers inside 15 feet and by taking it all the way to the basket, as evidenced by his 15 free-throw attempts on the game, 13 of which he converted. Law’s first step is not blazingly quick, but he does a good job getting the most of his natural abilities, using a variety of fakes and dribble maneuvers to get past his man, and once he gets the first step, it’s hard to keep him away from the basket.

Law has developed a reputation for being a clutch player down the stretch of close games, and he didn’t disappoint in this one. While he didn’t hit his typical three-pointers or score on impressive drives to the rim, Law hit six crucial free throws in the last three minutes of the game, sealing the deal for his team and ensuring their advancement to the Sweet Sixteen.

Law wasn’t much of a factor on the defensive end, as he was frequently matched against Louisville’s least effective guard in order to keep him out of foul trouble in a game where many players fell victim to it.

Law projects as a mid to late lottery pick at this stage of the season, though he has the chance to move up depending on how the ping pong balls after the NBA season concludes. He currently ranks as the best point guard in this draft, and he basically has a lock on that in this class so far. If a team in need of a point guard is drafting in the top 10 and Law continues his clutch performance, leading his team deep into this tournament, he could definitely find himself being considered a bit earlier in the lottery.

NCAA Tournament: Stock Watch (round of 64, Thursday)--Down/Neutral

Rodger Bohn
Rodger Bohn
Jonathan Givony
Jonathan Givony
Mike Schmidt
Mike Schmidt
Joey Whelan
Joey Whelan
Mar 15, 2007, 02:51 pm
Acie Law has helped his stock as much as any player in college basketball this season, and the NCAA tournament will give him the chance to prove he can be a legit lottery pick. It was an up and down game today, but his clutch instincts took over and led Texas A&M to an opening round win.

Law started the game trying to play as more of a facilitator on the offensive end of the floor. He pushed the ball in transition often, but when there was nothing there, he would pull the ball out and run the offense. He displayed good drive and kick skills in the process, and created some good looks for the other A&M perimeter players. With around 7 minutes remaining in the first half, Law led his team on a run, scoring 7 consecutive points, and scoring both on drives to the hoop and a jumper off the dribble.

In the second half, Law again started slow, and Texas A&M lost the double digit lead they had built up in the first half. He tried to go to his mid-range game during this time, and was able to get some nice looks, but they just weren’t falling. With around 8 minutes left in the game, Law again stepped up and took over the game. He made some spectacular finishes at the hoop, and hit a contested jumper from 12 feet while moving to the right. During this late push, Law continued to display his ability to get into the lane and dish to the open man, and after 5 minutes of strong play, Texas A&M had put the game out of reach.

Overall, Law didn’t really do much to change his stock in either direction today. He displayed his craftiness off the dribble, finishing ability inside, and the impressive ability to carry his team when needed. In the coming rounds, he will need to be more assertive as a scorer early in the game, but Law has a great chance to lead Texas A&M on a big run in this tournament.

NCAA Weekly Performers, 2/7/07-- Part One

Jonathan Givony
Jonathan Givony
Mike Schmidt
Mike Schmidt
Jonathan Watters
Jonathan Watters
Feb 07, 2007, 02:36 am
It can’t be stated enough just how much Law has improved throughout his four years of college basketball, developing from being a run of the mill high school prospect and a college freshman on a team that couldn’t even win one game in the Big 12 into arguably the best point guard in the entire country, playing for a team that absolutely no one wants to meet in the NCAA Tournament.

Law has always been known as a combo guard, but he’s done a terrific job this year shedding that label and developing into a true lead guard. He’s got a great supporting cast around him and is not afraid to use it, passing up good shots regularly for the benefit of finding a better one, something that was unheard of for him in the past. He’s making crisp, confident, creative passes swinging the ball around the perimeter in Billy Gillespie’s patient half-court offense, taking care of the ball wonderfully (2.12/1 assist to turnover ratio) despite the fact that he’s really forced to dominate it on a team that severely lacks other ball-handling options. He’s able to do that precisely because he is such an excellent ball-handler, being capable of breaking down defenses with his mind rather than with sheer explosiveness, and being equally skilled with either hand. He has a counter to every counter with his diverse triple-threat game, and therefore is rarely flustered even by the sight of an oncoming double-team that he enjoys splitting apart with the greatest of ease.

Law has wonderful body control and the ability to shift gears and change directions almost instantaneously reacting to what defenses throw at him, not being afraid to thread the needle with a lightning quick bounce pass on the drive and dish or take matters into his own hands when the situation calls for it. His offensive game inside the arc is amazingly complete, starting with his excellent mid-range game pulling up on a dime off the dribble with a nifty fadeaway using the glass and continuing with his patented floater that he sinks smoothly with either his left or right hand. His 3-point shot has improved by leaps and bounds this season despite his awkward shooting mechanics—getting virtually no lift on his jumper (a far cry from his mid-range shot), shooting the ball flat with an odd sidespin and his left elbow flailing out and sporting a fairly slow release as well. It goes in for him regardless at a great clip, 45% on the season-- which is all that matters--and much higher than that in the clutch. The problem is that we don’t have a huge sample size to work off of, only 2.5 attempts per game, which likely means this is something NBA personnel will be studying closely when they bring him in for private workouts.

As a slasher, Law is not going to blow anyone away with his amazing first step or ability to rise up off the floor, but his newly added strength and always-super-high basketball IQ help him create contact and get to the free throw line at a nice clip. Law is shooting a terrific 51.5% from the field, up from 38.7% as a freshman, which should tell you a little bit about the quality of shots he’s taking, as well as his much improved all-around skill level. In the clutch is where he’s really made a name for himself, though, outscoring opponents 7.3 to 7.1 in the last five minutes of games according to a stat mentioned by ESPN. He clearly takes his game to a completely different level in tight game situations when the pressure is on, which tells you plenty about the player he is.

In terms of his pro prospects, these past two games made plenty of previously indifferent scouts begin to jump on his bandwagon, at least from what we can tell. The NBA likes players who are winners, and that’s exactly what he is. We’ve always been extremely high on him as you may have read in the preseason , and the rest of the country is finally finding out why. In such a weak point guard class, there’s no telling how high Law could be drafted if a team is desperately looking for a playmaker. He has a chance to give his stock a tremendous boost if he can take his team to the Final Four-- and considering the way the Aggies are playing, it probably wouldn’t shock anyone if they did.

Top NBA Draft Prospects in the Big 12 (Part One: #1-#5)

Rodger Bohn
Rodger Bohn
Jonathan Givony
Jonathan Givony
Mike Schmidt
Mike Schmidt
Joseph Treutlein
Joseph Treutlein
Oct 26, 2006, 12:57 am
Law made a name for himself by almost singlehandedly taking Texas A&M to the 2nd round of the NCAA tournament with the way he played down the stretch, a feat that most considered impossible after the team played a cupcake schedule in the out of conference slate and then started off quite slow once they reached Big 12 play. He produced clutch shot after clutch shot, dismantling Gerry McNamara in the opening round of the NCAA tournament, and then taking eventual Final Four participants LSU down to the wire as an unlikely #12 seed.

As a prospect, Law has quite a bit to offer at the NCAA level. At 6-3, he has great size for the point guard position, aided even further by a nice wingspan. He has a lanky frame that could certainly use some weight, and despite the fact that he isn’t terribly explosive, he is smooth and fluid enough to get to where he needs to on the court without too much difficulty. What he lacks slightly in freakish athleticism he more than makes up for with his craftiness with the ball in his hands. Wright has an excellent crossover, great body control and a wide array of fakes and hesitation moves to keep his man off balance. There might not be a more gifted player in the country in terms of getting players to bite on his pump-fakes, and this helps him mix up his shooting with his slashing extremely well.

Despite his aggressive style of play, Wright did a pretty nice job keeping turnovers to a minimum last year, even against the best opponents the Aggies went up against. The biggest reason for that would be his ball-handling skills, which are very advanced. He can slash to the basket using either hand, and will finish creatively with a floater or spin move if the situation calls for it. Wright is an instinctive scorer who knows how to use the angles presented to him, and has no problem taking the ball strong all the way to the basket to draw contact and get to the free throw line. On top of that he has a legit mid-range game and the smarts to know how to use it, being able to stop on a dime smoothly and elevate when the situation calls for it. He gets his shot off in many different ways, and seems to be more effective shooting off the dribble than spotting up with his feet set. That’s part of the reason he is so dangerous in clutch-time situations, beyond the fact that he loves having the ball in his hands in pressure packed situations.

Looking at his numbers as a whole, though, you immediately notice that Law is not the most prolific 3-point shooter you’ll find. From studying his tape you immediately notice that his shooting mechanics need some work once he gets past 18 feet, as his release point is not consistent at all, which is what makes him so streaky. He’s a rhythm shooter through and through who seems better at hitting tough shots than he is at knocking down open ones. Considering his touch and offensive instincts, though, this seems to be something that he should be able to improve on if he puts the work in.

Another aspect of his game that scouts will be monitoring closely is his playmaking ability. Law is a scoring point guard first and foremost, and it would be foolish to expect him to change that since that will be his role in the NBA. He seems to have plenty of freedom at Texas A&M and his teammates seem to really look to get him the ball and work for him. Coach Gillespie does not ask him to play as a dominant ball-handling distributing type, which means slowing the tempo of the game down and utilizing plenty of ball movement. When he does get the ball it’s usually to look for his own shot, and at times he’ll have to force the issue a bit with the clock running down. It would be unfair to call him a bad passer, though, since he generally has a good feel for the game and can and will find the open man, particularly in drive and dish situations.

Defensively, Law doesn’t seem to put nearly the same effort he does on the offensive end. He floats around a bit on the perimeter, gambling at times and showing fairly average lateral quickness.

As an NCAA senior point guard who is easily the leading player on his team, Law will be judged as a draft prospect by his success individually, but more importantly the success he has with his team. He has a role as a backup point guard in the NBA, but he’ll have to get as far as possible in the NCAA tournament and show that to as many decision makers as he can this year.

NCAA Tournament: Stock Watch (round of 32, #1), Stock DOWN/NEUTRAL

Rodger Bohn
Rodger Bohn
Jonathan Givony
Jonathan Givony
Mike Schmidt
Mike Schmidt
Jonathan Watters
Jonathan Watters
Mar 19, 2006, 03:34 am
It was easy to see Acie Law’s value to the Aggies tonight against LSU. 2 minutes and 38 seconds into the game, Law picked up his second foul and was forced to go to the bench. A few minutes later he returned to the floor when his team only had 1 point scored in the game. Law led them back from a double digit deficit, and the first half ended with a tie. The game continued to be close the entire way and Law made some clutch plays in the 2nd half to give his team a chance to win, but it just wasn’t enough against the more talented LSU squad.

For the second game in a row, Law proved that he’s a player that should have the ball in his hands when the game is on the line. His mid-range jumper with 17 seconds left broke a tie, and it took an amazing three point by Darrel Mitchell to top his shot. Law has the ability to get into the lane very easily thanks to his outstanding quickness and body control, and has a pretty nice stroke on the perimeter to boot. In this game, his shot wasn’t falling for most of the game, but he still made plays for his team and gave them a chance to win.

If Acie Law can come back his senior year and prove that he can be more of a consumate floor general, his draft stock will improve drastically. Right now he’s a good passer, but doesn’t really control the offense the way an NBA point guard should. Law really opened some eyes in the tournament with his clutch play, and has one more year to boost his stock solidly into the 1st round.

NCAA Tournament: NBA Draft Stock Watch (round of 64, Thursday games)

Jonathan Givony
Jonathan Givony
Mike Schmidt
Mike Schmidt
Joseph Treutlein
Joseph Treutlein
Mar 17, 2006, 04:16 am
Of all the performances during the first day of the NCAA tournament, few, if any, are more impressive than what Acie Law did for Texas A&M. The Aggies led throughout most of the game, but as Syracuse clawed their way back towards the end of the second half, Law took his team on his back and carried them to victory. With the A&M lead at 4 points with just over 7 minutes remaining, Law scored 14 of his team’s next 16 points, including 10 points in a row during one stretch. He scored these key baskets by attacking the basket fearlessly, which resulted in all 8 of Acie’s free throw attempts coming in the last 7 minutes and 20 seconds of the game. Though Law doesn’t appear to be a true floor general at this point in time, he is good at finding the open man off the dribble drive thanks to his outstanding body control and natural basketball instincts. It appears that Texas A&M’s tournament hopes rest on what Law can lead them to do, and even if they don’t advance further, Acie Law is an intriguing guy to watch out for going into next season.

NCAA Tournament: Atlanta Bracket NBA Draft Prospects

Jonathan Givony
Jonathan Givony
Mike Schmidt
Mike Schmidt
Landry Fields
Landry Fields
Eric Weiss
Eric Weiss
Mar 15, 2006, 03:58 am
Law is a point guard who possesses good size, and a nice outside shot to compliment it. Possessing fairly solid athletic ability, he can get into the lane successfully at the college level. Right now, Law’s free throw shooting is sub par, despite the fact that he makes a lot of his mid-range shots off the dribble. Though he runs the point guard position for A&M, he isn’t a great floor general, and his decision making will have to improve in the future.

Law can best help Texas A&M during the NCAA tournament with clutch play. He has produced some clutch performances in the past, and the consistent ability to carry the team on his back could lead to a tournament win or two. He also needs to work on his shot selection during the tournament. Law has played a couple games this season where his three point shot just has not fallen, but it didn’t stop him from taking too many attempts. If he can improve in those areas, Acie Law will set himself up nicely for some attention throughout his senior season next year.

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