| Marvin Williams: The Forgotten Man Authored by Zettler Clay IV - November 19, 2006 - 10:21 pm
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You cannot find him sitting idly while his hand is in a cast. He cannot even find him just on a treadmill or running around. You see him performing in drills, and constantly doing something. It has been an off-season of achievement, optimism, and agony for Marvin Williams. After finishing his rookie year on the All-Rookie second team, he took off to Chapel Hill, NC. Not to work-out. To to enroll in summer school.
This was a remarkable feat in itself, considering that most rookies in his position would be hellbent on silencing critics, considering that more people see who the Hawks didn't draft than who they did. For a number two overall pick who was only 19 years old, he was already being relegated to the "same breath as Sam Bowie" status. This was something that did not fall on deaf ears.
"Yeah, I hear it. I hear and read everything," Williams said. "I'm not worried about it. I am pretty confident on the reasons that I was drafted."
In talking to this man, one would get every impression that Williams is every bit as calm and collected as any player who is self-affirmed in his place in the NBA. This is probably because he doesn't hold himself to anyone else's standard, but his own. When asked if he has individual goals or feats that he wants to accomplish, he looked, and did not bat an eye.
"My goal is to work and play as hard as I can. I just want to win."
So if you averaged five points a game in your career and won five championships, would you be happy?
"Of course. I would rather average five points a game and win five 'ships because, that is what you play for," Williams said smiling. "How many people do you know who has won 5 rings?"
Does this sound like a much maligned 20 year old, or a 34 year old vet? However way you look at his career in front of him, you would be hard-pressed to find a more impressive physical specimen come out of 2005 NBA draft. He is listed at 6'9, but he could very well pass for 6'10. His jumper is as smooth as they come, and at his height, will be virtually unstoppable if he is on. His ball-handling is superb; he honed his ball-handling skills as an adolescent by being trained as a guard by his father. His 3/4 quarter sprint from the 2005 NBA Draft Combine was faster than Chris Paul, Monta Ellis, Jarrett Jack, Luther Head, and Martell Webster; even though those players are all guards.
Williams played in summer league as if he had a golden nugget on his shoulder. He was set to be the Hawks second play-maker to fill in on some of those 18 points that left with Al. Aside from the first game of the season, the Hawks have had no problem scoring. They haven't had much problem winning either, and Marvin hasn't had any problem showing support. Go to any Hawk game, and one would see that he is the first person off the bench congratulating and praising.
"It is killing me man," Williams commenting on his game-time inactivity. "I will be ready soon though."
Moreover, on the date of his return, the Hawks will be boosted by his draft pick alone. Since 1980, no NBA team has won a championship without a top 3 pick on their roster. According to this "law", the Hawks have a better chance of winning the NBA championship than Dallas and Phoenix. Though this may be out of Williams' control, this is a pick that, regardless of who they selected, should comfort the Hawks.
Perhaps this is the reason why Marvin WIlliams is so calm. |
