Does Williams get it? (split)

[randymoss1881]

If he gets paid it better not be by us weather he breaks out or not you don't trust contract year players.

 

[beb0p]

Easy.

Pac-10 player of the year doesn't exactly scream "not very good".

I think this is kind of a make it or break it year for Williams. He does have potential. But hopefully he sees that he needs to work harder to maximize it.

I knew somebody is going to use the, "Oh, he was a good college player." line. Yes, he was good in college. And so was Jerome Randle, Sam Clancy, and Sean Lampley, all former Pac 10 PoTY. Being a Pac 10 PoTY doesn't really mean much when it comes to the NBA.

The fact is that he was a phenomenal athlete with limit basketball skill. That can get it done in college, not so much in the NBA unless he was seven-footer.
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[hrdboild]

Can't we just wait and see what happens? I shake my head every year as people hand down proclamations about who can or cannot play before the season has already started. I played fantasy basketball for only 2 years before deciding it was an unnecessary time sink, but one lesson I learned very well in that short period of time is that what happened the season before is often a poor predictor of what will happen this season. Some All-Stars are going to suffer through miserable seasons. Some team's key player is going to get injured and miss most of the year. Some guy you've barely heard of is going to surprise everybody and become a star. By all means let's discuss what players need to do to get better, but why the heavy-handed premature predictions? Williams has played terribly so far, but he's also shown in brief moments that his talent is real. I'm rooting for him to figure it out though I really have no idea what's going to happen. It's a new season, a fresh start for everyone. We're going to start out the year tied for first like every other team. Why be negative at this point?

 

[ShastaKingsFan]

Can't we just wait and see what happens? I shake my head every year as people hand down proclamations about who can or cannot play before the season has already started. I played fantasy basketball for only 2 years before deciding it was an unnecessary time sink, but one lesson I learned very well in that short period of time is that what happened the season before is often a poor predictor of what will happen this season. Some All-Stars are going to suffer through miserable seasons. Some team's key player is going to get injured and miss most of the year. Some guy you've barely heard of is going to surprise everybody and become a star. By all means let's discuss what players need to do to get better, but why the heavy-handed premature predictions? Williams has played terribly so far, but he's also shown in brief moments that his talent is real. I'm rooting for him to figure it out though I really have no idea what's going to happen. It's a new season, a fresh start for everyone. We're going to start out the year tied for first like every other team. Why be negative at this point?

Agreed. Why "give up" on a talented player after half a season on a team that's rebuilding and didn't have much consistency? Doesn't make any sense

 

[beb0p]

Agreed. Why "give up" on a talented player after half a season on a team that's rebuilding and didn't have much consistency? Doesn't make any sense

Can't we just wait and see what happens? I shake my head every year as people hand down proclamations about who can or cannot play before the season has already started. I played fantasy basketball for only 2 years before deciding it was an unnecessary time sink, but one lesson I learned very well in that short period of time is that what happened the season before is often a poor predictor of what will happen this season. Some All-Stars are going to suffer through miserable seasons. Some team's key player is going to get injured and miss most of the year. Some guy you've barely heard of is going to surprise everybody and become a star. By all means let's discuss what players need to do to get better, but why the heavy-handed premature predictions? Williams has played terribly so far, but he's also shown in brief moments that his talent is real. I'm rooting for him to figure it out though I really have no idea what's going to happen. It's a new season, a fresh start for everyone. We're going to start out the year tied for first like every other team. Why be negative at this point?

There is no need for the "holier than thou" attitude. No one is giving up on Derrick Williams. In fact, I would be elated if DWill plays like a solid rotation player and help the team wins.

The fact is that past success is the best predictor for future success. And DWill's career so far.... is a big disappointment. We can have a frank discussion about his abilities (or lack thereof) or we can just sing kumbaya and pretend his career is not in jeopardy or that the team didn't already made plans for the coming season that pretty much excludes him.

The only way that I see DWill cracking a rotation is if he can develop a three pt shot and become an undersized stretch four. But seeing that his shot is what it is, I think that is a tall order; I don't think he can do it. I think he will go the way of Anthony Randolph.

Now, if anyone think he will have a banner year, speak up now. Again, no one is giving up on him; no one failed to notice his elite athleticsm; or the occassional good games; that doesn't mean that he is looking good, because he hasn't.
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[hrdboild]

There is no need for the "holier than thou" attitude. No one is giving up on Derrick Williams. In fact, I would be elated if DWill plays like a solid rotation player and help the team wins.

The fact is that past success is the best predictor for future success. And DWill's career so far.... is a big disappointment. We can have a frank discussion about his abilities (or lack thereof) or we can just sing kumbaya and pretend his career is not in jeopardy or that the team didn't already made plans for the coming season that pretty much excludes him.

The only way that I see DWill cracking a rotation is if he can develop a three pt shot and become an undersized stretch four. But seeing that his shot is what it is, I think that is a tall order; I don't think he can do it. I think he will go the way of Anthony Randolph.

Now, if anyone think he will have a banner year, speak up now. Again, no one is giving up on him; no one failed to notice his elite athleticsm; or the occassional good games; that doesn't mean that he is looking good, because he hasn't.
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I thought people were having a rather frank discussion of Williams' abilities before you decided his college career is irrelevant. A guy who shot 54% from the college three point line as a sophomore (2 attempts per game) is somebody who you reasonably expect to develop a reliable long-range jumper in the NBA. The biggest mystery for me is why Derrick Williams' three point shot was worse last season that it was in his rookie season. Did he get talked into bulking up for the PF position and stop working on his perimeter skills? If he's back to working on his shot again, he's on the right track. Of course there are college stars who fail in the NBA. Maybe Williams will be added to that list. But in the meantime he's a still a talented 23 year old whose future is in his own hands. I don't think any of your criticism was unfair, I just don't see the point in rooting for guys to fail. Is that a holier than though attitude? Really I'm just saying stash the ego and wait and see. And that applies to all of our young guys, not just Williams. What's offensive about that?

 

[Bricklayer]

DWill is three years into his pro career now, college becomes as rapidly irrelevant as Jimmer's college career. Maybe even moreso with DWill as he only had the one big explosion year and a bit like Thomas Robinson is that classic too small college power player who could overwhelm at the lower level but then ends up playing in a league of grown men and loses that edge.

He's never going to be big enough, strong enough, or mean enough to be an NBA power player. He's a pretty boy, not a warrior. I truly think the key to his NBA career, or lack thereof, is going to be him hitting the gym and taking hundreds of three point shots a day. Whether he wants to call himself a three or a stretch 4, he desperately needs to develop that range. he could shoot it in college, the extra couple of feet seem to have done him in. If he can get to the point he can hit 35%+ of his threes on volume, then combined with his athleticism I think he has a role in the league going forward. Obviously not a star, but there's a place for those sorts of stretchy characters. Be a 3rd Morris twin. But if he doesn't start knocking down that shot in a hurry, then he's literally looking at a career overseas. Right now he has a game of dubious NBA utility, but one that could really blossom once he gets back amongst lesser athletes. He'd tear up China.

 

[beb0p]

I thought people were having a rather frank discussion of Williams' abilities before you decided his college career is irrelevant. A guy who shot 54% from the college three point line as a sophomore (2 attempts per game) is somebody who you reasonably expect to develop a reliable long-range jumper in the NBA. The biggest mystery for me is why Derrick Williams' three point shot was worse last season that it was in his rookie season. Did he get talked into bulking up for the PF position and stop working on his perimeter skills? If he's back to working on his shot again, he's on the right track. Of course there are college stars who fail in the NBA. Maybe Williams will be added to that list. But in the meantime he's a still a talented 23 year old whose future is in his own hands. I don't think any of your criticism was unfair, I just don't see the point in rooting for guys to fail. Is that a holier than though attitude? Really I'm just saying stash the ego and wait and see. And that applies to all of our young guys, not just Williams. What's offensive about that?

Com'on, why would I root for the guy to fail? As a Kings fan it's to my benefit that everyone on the team plays like all-stars. So why would I want anyone on the Kings to fail. If anything, I root for the opposing teams' players to fail.

When it comes to DWill's shooting, it's all relative - he shot 60% FG in his final year at Arizona and in the low 40% FG in the pros. So we are basically seeing an across the board decline in shooting, not just from 3-pt land. The only area that he still excels at is when he is inside the dunk area, all other areas he is below par and wildly inconsistent (he might shot ok from baseline trey in one season and then totally suck from the same area in another season). What I think this means is that the extra length and speed of the game is really bothering him, in addition to the extra distance of the 3-pt shot. When he doesn't get a clean look he missed, and he is not the kind of player who get himself enough clean looks. Furthermore, he doesn't even have a "spot" on the floor where he can consistently make shots (other than a dunk), so the coach can't even say, "Just go to your spot and wait for the rock."

As for his 56% 3-pt shooting in college, I always thought that was a fluke. I can't explain the high %, it just seems like that final college season everything he threw up went into the basket. But when I watched him played for Arizona, I didn't think he was actually that good.
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[bajaden]

DWill is three years into his pro career now, college becomes as rapidly irrelevant as Jimmer's college career. Maybe even moreso with DWill as he only had the one big explosion year and a bit like Thomas Robinson is that classic too small college power player who could overwhelm at the lower level but then ends up playing in a league of grown men and loses that edge.

He's never going to be big enough, strong enough, or mean enough to be an NBA power player. He's a pretty boy, not a warrior. I truly think the key to his NBA career, or lack thereof, is going to be him hitting the gym and taking hundreds of three point shots a day. Whether he wants to call himself a three or a stretch 4, he desperately needs to develop that range. he could shoot it in college, the extra couple of feet seem to have done him in. If he can get to the point he can hit 35%+ of his threes on volume, then combined with his athleticism I think he has a role in the league going forward. Obviously not a star, but there's a place for those sorts of stretchy characters. Be a 3rd Morris twin. But if he doesn't start knocking down that shot in a hurry, then he's literally looking at a career overseas. Right now he has a game of dubious NBA utility, but one that could really blossom once he gets back amongst lesser athletes. He'd tear up China.

Hmmm, I just got done looking at a picture of D. Will, and then I went and looked up the word Pretty in the dictionary. I'm now throughly confused. What I do know, is that one of us has bad taste. However, I do agree with you that whatever he did in college is irrelevant at this point. It's merely a reference point for how he got here. At the minimum, he should be able to match what Kenneth Faried does. But he doesn't seem to have the motor for that. Too bad, that would at least make him valuable. There's always a spot for an energy player. I'm one of those never say never guys. But even I get to the point where I'd like to make him someone else's problem. Now if he were only making 1.5 mil a year, I'd be willing to be more patient. But at 6.6 mil a year? No! That's proven player money. The combined salaries of JT, Landry, and Williams add up to 19.4 mil. Does anyone think were getting our money's worth? I'm not trying to be negative. Just saying........