Post by DERRENMATTS on Jun 4, 2006 4:52:16 GMT -5
I actually thought we should have taken a stab at him last year when he was trying to find a team to latch on with. Its disappointing that he hasn't been able to convince a team that he is worth a try yet. From the sounds of it, he's playing at a level that at least deserves a back up spot in the league, but I'm getting a gut feeling that he can once again play at the starting level.
Here are 2 recent articles on him working out with Marcus Williams and other PG's.
draftexpress.com/viewarticle.php?a=1323
draftexpress.com/viewarticle.php?a=1321
The first one is an interview and the second one is the scouting report on how he faired against other top PG prospects in this draft.
In the interview, J-Will says that he is able to dunk off of both legs and as well as his right leg. But he isn't able to get the same type of lift off his left leg like the way he used to. Well, IMO, it doesn't matter if a PG can't dunk off of his left or right leg. As long as he can pass the ball and score when the opportunities are there for him, I'm more than ecstatic about that. And from the scouting report found in the second link, Jay Williams is doing just that. He's a smarter player now and he's been watching Steve Nash a lot, trying to pick up some things.
I'm all for going after him and giving him a shot to take the starting role away from Delonte. If it doesn't work, we'll still have ourselves a quality back up PG whom we are looking for. But if he does take the starting spot, I'm feeling good about his potential to run this team well. He's a leader on the court and he desires to be a guy who averages 8 - 9 assists per game and makes others around him better. The fact that he has fought his way back to the level he is at now just goes to show the incredible amount of determination he has and his sheer will power to get him here thus far and overcome his near fatal accident. Doctors told him that he may not be able to walk again, let alone play basketball again. But he's worked hard to make his way back into the NBA, and teams are now looking at him. That's the type of fighting spirit we need.
His dribbling ability is still there. His court awareness and basketball IQ is still there (and more enhanced). His upperbody strength is still there. His shooting ability is still there. The only thing that isn't quite there like how they used to be is his superior quickness and explosiveness. But Marcus Banks has those things and it hasn't automatically made him a good PG. Steve Nash doesn't have those things and he's one of the best PG's in the league. Plus, because he isn't able to rely on his otherworldly speed anymore, he's compensated by acquiring other moves that will allow him to be a scorer. He mentions a step back jumper, a floater in the lane, etc. He plays more like an older player now, like when players have to adjust when their bodies and their legs start to wear down.
At the very least, he should be able to make more of an impact than Eric Snow. More realistically, I think he'll be a better playmaker and vocal leader than Delonte, and he should be able to make a bigger impact on the team than Delonte. Delonte is no slouch, but Jay Williams was a much more talented player before his injury, and from the sounds of it, he's regained a lot of what he's lost, and the abilities he's lost, he's replaced them with new skills that work.
Here are 2 recent articles on him working out with Marcus Williams and other PG's.
draftexpress.com/viewarticle.php?a=1323
draftexpress.com/viewarticle.php?a=1321
The first one is an interview and the second one is the scouting report on how he faired against other top PG prospects in this draft.
In the interview, J-Will says that he is able to dunk off of both legs and as well as his right leg. But he isn't able to get the same type of lift off his left leg like the way he used to. Well, IMO, it doesn't matter if a PG can't dunk off of his left or right leg. As long as he can pass the ball and score when the opportunities are there for him, I'm more than ecstatic about that. And from the scouting report found in the second link, Jay Williams is doing just that. He's a smarter player now and he's been watching Steve Nash a lot, trying to pick up some things.
I'm all for going after him and giving him a shot to take the starting role away from Delonte. If it doesn't work, we'll still have ourselves a quality back up PG whom we are looking for. But if he does take the starting spot, I'm feeling good about his potential to run this team well. He's a leader on the court and he desires to be a guy who averages 8 - 9 assists per game and makes others around him better. The fact that he has fought his way back to the level he is at now just goes to show the incredible amount of determination he has and his sheer will power to get him here thus far and overcome his near fatal accident. Doctors told him that he may not be able to walk again, let alone play basketball again. But he's worked hard to make his way back into the NBA, and teams are now looking at him. That's the type of fighting spirit we need.
His dribbling ability is still there. His court awareness and basketball IQ is still there (and more enhanced). His upperbody strength is still there. His shooting ability is still there. The only thing that isn't quite there like how they used to be is his superior quickness and explosiveness. But Marcus Banks has those things and it hasn't automatically made him a good PG. Steve Nash doesn't have those things and he's one of the best PG's in the league. Plus, because he isn't able to rely on his otherworldly speed anymore, he's compensated by acquiring other moves that will allow him to be a scorer. He mentions a step back jumper, a floater in the lane, etc. He plays more like an older player now, like when players have to adjust when their bodies and their legs start to wear down.
At the very least, he should be able to make more of an impact than Eric Snow. More realistically, I think he'll be a better playmaker and vocal leader than Delonte, and he should be able to make a bigger impact on the team than Delonte. Delonte is no slouch, but Jay Williams was a much more talented player before his injury, and from the sounds of it, he's regained a lot of what he's lost, and the abilities he's lost, he's replaced them with new skills that work.