Welcome back Justin Williams!

[xyrin]

Will he suit up for the game tomorrow? The article said he will be signed to a 10 day contract on Friday, so does that mean he has to wait until saturday to play?

 

[fnordius]

I kind of hate to be critical when management just did something which I thoroughly approve of, but... I should temper my statements of last night, which were made when I was both extremely happy about the news, and also fairly smashed.

I don't really think this was planned, and I don't think it was done to cut costs. What have they saved? Almost exactly $100,000, by leaving him out of the first 19 games. Meanwhile they've paid Potapenko $851,428 for playing 9 minutes, and Taylor's making $13K+ per game for doing whatever it is that Taylor does. $100,000 is less than 1/6 of 1% of the payroll budget, it's nothing. Some other team could have snagged the guy, because we weren't prepared to offer him an annual contract which would consume less than 0.7% of the payroll budget.

I don't know whether they were afraid to sign JW when they were cutting the Maloofs' pet, Asmundson, or whether they just totally misjudged JW, Taylor, and/or the team's needs. But either they were intimidated by office politics, or they showed poor judgement, or some combination of the two.

I'm not forgetting the mistake, but I'm tentatively forgiving it.

Does it make me feel better about management? Yes. In many organizations, management is extremely reluctant to ever admit to a mistake, or to retract an action once taken. I would like to have management which never goofs, but am willing to settle for management who are willing to fix their own mistakes. Hopefully future mistakes will be corrected before they become so obvious.

If they now go ahead and develop the guy, give him some minutes and show the sort of patience they have shown with other rookies, my tentative forgiveness becomes permanent. But if he's not around a few weeks from now, I will strongly lean towards the conclusion that it wasn't JW who couldn't figure out our game plan, it was management.

Ronnie Price, Kevin Martin, Francisco Garcia, Gerald Wallace... none of our recent rookies have made any difference at all in their first year. Give the guy a chance, that's all I ask.

 

[rumpled]

Okay, I'll be the cynic and say maybe somebody upstairs reads the board and just got tired of the JW threads. Either way it makes perfect sense to give him a cheap 10 day and see what happens in a real game. Any big with effort can be great to have, I'd be happy with an athletic madsen much less a ben wallace.

As far as him not getting minutes...between the PF and C spots there's no real reason he can't get (at least) 10 min/game on this team just as a change of pace guy. I mean, sure we never played rookies much in the past but that was Rick and this is Muss, its all different now. There's not the same urgency to not risk losing a game by playing a rookie who might hurt the team.

I'm confused at the people that agree this is a nice experiment to try but still manage to be peeved at the management of it somehow. Seems fine to me, now we get to see what really might happen. All these wild speculations about how all these nobodies _could_ be the next whoever never do much for me. I gotta see what happens when they have to go up against the good opponents. Anyhow, now that he's here I'm all optimism but this page (predraft official measurements) says he's 6'7" in socks. So I'm hoping maybe game-changing 6th man and not setting my sights on amare stoudamire yet. Not that a hustling 6'7" guy can't be a starting PF in this league, just ask Kenny Thomas. Whups I had a coughing fit, I'm alright now. Actually I'd love to have a KT who could bring it off the bench. Go Justin Go!

 

[SacTownKid]

1) I like the move, as mentioend we never should have cut him

2) I am realistic about the move, a key survival skill here. Kid was undrafted for a reason. Cut for a reason. In the NBDL for a reason. Not picked up by another team before us for a reason. Something there, but not clear he'll even get a shot to display it, let alone be an impact guy.

3) Muss and Petrie cut this kid just a few months ago. So neither party deserves much credit for being forced to admit they ****ed up a few months later. Nor am I exactly swimming in confidence that 60 days after cutting a kid outright and not even retaining his rights, that we have suddenly decided that this is a major piece signalling a new directionf or the team.

I think the fact that other teams were interested forced the Kings to do it now. I'm not so sure this isn't all part of some plan. Not in the grand scheme, but of the process of seeing what Justin can/could do.

 

[SacTownKid]

Okay, I'll be the cynic and say maybe somebody upstairs reads the board and just got tired of the JW threads. Either way it makes perfect sense to give him a cheap 10 day and see what happens in a real game. Any big with effort can be great to have, I'd be happy with an athletic madsen much less a ben wallace.

As far as him not getting minutes...between the PF and C spots there's no real reason he can't get (at least) 10 min/game on this team just as a change of pace guy. I mean, sure we never played rookies much in the past but that was Rick and this is Muss, its all different now. There's not the same urgency to not risk losing a game by playing a rookie who might hurt the team.

I'm confused at the people that agree this is a nice experiment to try but still manage to be peeved at the management of it somehow. Seems fine to me, now we get to see what really might happen. All these wild speculations about how all these nobodies _could_ be the next whoever never do much for me. I gotta see what happens when they have to go up against the good opponents. Anyhow, now that he's here I'm all optimism but this page (predraft official measurements) says he's 6'7" in socks. So I'm hoping maybe game-changing 6th man and not setting my sights on amare stoudamire yet. Not that a hustling 6'7" guy can't be a starting PF in this league, just ask Kenny Thomas. Whups I had a coughing fit, I'm alright now. Actually I'd love to have a KT who could bring it off the bench. Go Justin Go!

So he's not Amare Stoudemire because he's 6'7" in socks? What if I told you Amare is only about 6'8" in socks?

I am just hoping this kid gets a chance. I am interested to see what he can do because from everything I have read on him is that "he won't do this", or "he can't do that". Yet when he has gotten to every level he's been at he has done it. It's a great story.

No this guy isn't a franchise player. Will most likely never be, but from seeing him in camp, and watching him in the D-league I do think him being a terrific rebounder and shotblocker at the PF position is very possible. As for the not being able to contribute now stuff. I disagree. As far as I know he can rebound and block shots probably better than anyone we have on the roster now so I could see him contributing those things immediately

I am rooting for him and I hope he stays a King, no matter what he shows in limited opportunity in these 10 days.

 

[VF21]

they cut him because of the salary cap reasons...

Wrong.

 

[BMiller52]

All NBA player heights are listed with shoes on, most anyway. I'm pretty sure anyway.

 

[VF21]

All NBA player heights are listed with shoes on, most anyway. I'm pretty sure anyway.

Or maybe not? Or maybe with one shoe on?

Face it, BMiller52. You really didn't think that out before you posted, did you?

 

[rumpled]

So he's not Amare Stoudemire because he's 6'7" in socks? What if I told you Amare is only about 6'8" in socks?

Actually I wouldn't be a bit surprised...hrm you're right I threw that out there as a guy I vaguely thought was about 6'10. 2 inches under is about normal though. No matter. I'm not saying JW can't have a nice career at 6'7. I believe in the effort on the court more than a certain size anyway, I want that will to win in the biggest size available. I was just trying to point out 6'7" is not 6'10". Even less so when your game is unskilled hustling shotblocker, 6'10 is quite a bit better in that case. I just, ah, thought it was ironic that if I think of 6'7" PF's our own KT is a great example of how far talent and hustle can get you. (30 million or so (50 maybe, I dunno) and a pretty nice career and he's still going)

So yeah, I guess I was thinking don't get our big-man hopes up (with as much as people complain about KT's height) with a guy who might not have the body type coughjuicecough to turn into a Ben Wallace.

I'm totally on the bandwagon though, I'm just not going to actually mateen until I see him play.

 

[OptimusRhyme]

If Williams pans out, does his role Block shots, Rebound, our bench is looking pretty solid, alot of young talent working hard to get minutes.
I think we are moving in the right direction towards what this franchise has to do, we are not contenders, we are rebuilders, I gotta give GP props for pickin up Martin, Garcia, Douby, Price and now Williams with very late picks or just great scouting free-agency, all these guys have potential. Slowly we are on the rise but we are definitely on the rise.

 

[Bricklayer]

I kind of hate to be critical when management just did something which I thoroughly approve of, but... I should temper my statements of last night, which were made when I was both extremely happy about the news, and also fairly smashed.

I don't really think this was planned, and I don't think it was done to cut costs. What have they saved? Almost exactly $100,000, by leaving him out of the first 19 games. Meanwhile they've paid Potapenko $851,428 for playing 9 minutes, and Taylor's making $13K+ per game for doing whatever it is that Taylor does. $100,000 is less than 1/6 of 1% of the payroll budget, it's nothing. Some other team could have snagged the guy, because we weren't prepared to offer him an annual contract which would consume less than 0.7% of the payroll budget.

I don't know whether they were afraid to sign JW when they were cutting the Maloofs' pet, Asmundson, or whether they just totally misjudged JW, Taylor, and/or the team's needs. But either they were intimidated by office politics, or they showed poor judgement, or some combination of the two.

I'm not forgetting the mistake, but I'm tentatively forgiving it.

That's actually a very strong post containing many of my thoughts/observations about the situation. Especially the Admundson pet angle. But leaving Justin out there in the NBDL wasn't part of any plan -- any team in the league could have scooped him up at any moment. If it was a plan, it was either a moronically high risk plan if they thought he had actual value, or it was a "plan" where the esteem for Williams was so low that they really wouldn't have been terribly upset if he was scooped up by someone else.

 

[fnordius]

Anyhow, now that he's here I'm all optimism but this page (predraft official measurements) says he's 6'7" in socks.

Yep, but according to the NBA he's 6'10": http://www.nba.com/dleague/playerfile/justin_williams/
...which just goes to show that most NBA measurements are taken in platform shoes. Reynaldo Balkman is 6'5" in socks, but 6'8" according to the NBA. Randy Foye is 6'2", but 6'4" according to the NBA. I'm sure that JW is just as tall as most other guys the NBA says are 6'10".

Not that a hustling 6'7" guy can't be a starting PF in this league, just ask Kenny Thomas.

KT is probably no more than 6'5", which still makes him an inch taller than Charles Barkley. Too bad he doesn't have that sort of talent + motivation.

 

[swisshh]

So do we not have to cut anyone?

I'm very wait and see on Justin, but I'm more curious if this mwans we're letting someone go.

 

[slugking50]

So do we not have to cut anyone?

I'm very wait and see on Justin, but I'm more curious if this mwans we're letting someone go.

Nobodies getting cut.


He wont be signed for a few days according to Musselmen.

 

[Gary]

You can't label every guy that was not drafted a guy that can't contribute. The guy has skills.

Lets put it this way.... If JW was playing for Duke last year and putting up similar stats to what he was in Wyoming than we would not be having this convo because Williams would be playing for a team that had a top 10 pick. Not much is known on this guy outside him benig able to block shots, and rebound. give him a chance in real life games before we label him as a savior/bust.

 

[BigWaxer]

I like it and imagine muss will give him some time on the court. 5blk shots on Kobe tonight! LOL

 

[NikateeN]

Thank you Petrie, i was shocked to see he didnt make it the first time, seeing as Kings want to add younger talent to the roster, he looked hungry in preseason and thats what we need, hungry players, hope he lasts this time around.

 

[thatguy]

I didn't look through the whole thread, but everyone realizes that Williams won't be playing tonight, right? He isn't even signed yet...