Quick Hitz - Marcus Williams early play is worth noting

To say that Marcus Williams’ NBA career has gotten off to a smooth start would be comparable to saying that Ronnie Brewer has the smoothest shooting stroke in the L. Drafted 22nd overall in the 2006 draft by the New Jersey Nets, it appeared that Williams was put in a perfect position to succeed by backing up future hall of famer Jason Kidd – the ultimate internship.

After a decent rookie campaign in which he averaged 6.8 points and 3.3 assists, his sophomore encore was marked by diminished production in numerous categories and questions on his physical conditioning. He was subsequently shipped to the Golden State Warriors after the season.

In Golden State he was placed in another ideal situation, set to play in a frenetic paced offense built for young, heady point guards --- the match didn’t work, Williams was released after only nine games in which he earned only earned 6 minutes per outing and averaged a disappointing 1.3 points.

So with a career headed south, it came as no surprise that Williams’ signing by the Memphis Grizzlies back in August barely generated a whimper. While the numbers aren’t spectacular through 11 games this season, 5 points and 3.4 assists, Williams appears to be great shape and has looked more effective at times than starter Mike Conley.

Boasting a career field goal percentage of 38 percent (37 percent this season) it’s obvious that Williams isn’t going to become a double digit point contributor. The value in Williams’ game and his long term viability is based on his floor leadership skills.

With Conley etched as the starter and newly signed Jamaal Tinsley slotted to get the lion’s share of backup minutes, Williams will likely fall out of the rotation soon --- but shouldn’t fall off the radar of GM’s looking for a backup PG next season.


Lang
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