Williams in crowded spot Rockets small forward reacts positively to fight for job By JONATHAN FEIGEN Copyright 2001 Houston Chronicle AUSTIN -- It doesn't take a 10-year NBA veteran to read the roster and count the small forwards. Walt Williams could do that long before he became so tenured. It takes a 10-year veteran to know what to do with the news. The Rockets acquired Glen Rice and drafted Terence Morris in the offseason. Williams knew what that could mean. Dan Langhi was coming back for a second season. Others could fill in at the position, the Rockets' most crowded. Williams had been in and out of the starting lineup in his two seasons with the Rockets. He always felt just on the wrong side of doing what he could to carve his niche and excel in it. But with the Rockets' offseason moves, he knew what he had to do. "I'm very impressed with Walt coming in," Rockets coach Rudy Tomjanovich said. "He came in in great shape and he's out there doing what he does well. That's what you expect from a guy in his situation. He has the right approach -- positive, he's taken care of himself and he's playing well. He's just playing good basketball." Williams, knowing the level of competition had increased, came in to compete. Rather than lament his fate, he has in the first days of training camp played well enough to change it. "Every time I step out on the court I feel I have something to prove," Williams said. "I'm not in a position where anything is given to me. It's not necessarily going out to score all these points. It's whatever the team needs." But the key might have been Williams' attitude when several of the Rockets' key acquisitions were brought in to play his position. "In the past, I knew even though they didn't bring in a small forward, they were going to try to play Shandon (Anderson) at the small forward also," Williams said. "Since I've been in the NBA, I've never been in a spot the job was mine. When I was in Sacramento, it was Lionel Simmons. Rasheed Wallace in Portland. In Toronto, they were playing Marcus Camby at the three. Everywhere I've been, the position was never held for me. "I just keep playing. That's the only thing I can do. There were times I had good games, sometimes I had games and missed some shots and didn't have the minutes to get myself out of it. I just have to keep working harder and getting tougher. You have to work through it and try to stay consistent." Williams had scored at least in double figures in all but one of his first 10 seasons in the NBA, averaging better than 16 points in three seasons. But he slumped to a career-low 8.3 points per game on 39.4-percent shooting. He made 39.5 of his 3-pointers, but almost half his attempts were 3s. To improve his overall shooting, Williams said he would look to do more than catch and shoot on the perimeter. "I have to try to do more things going to the basket instead of relying on the jump shot, the 3-pointer, all the time," Williams said. "It's not just going to the basket, it's shooting the midrange jumper, the college 3. That's a much more consistent shot for me. ... " In the last season of his five-year, $20 million contract, Williams could be considered a valuable commodity on the trade market for teams looking to clear cap space next season. And the Rockets will have to weigh Williams' production against other players' needs to gain playing experience. "We're trying to win games," Tomjanovich said. "I'm going to play the guys that can help us win games, whoever that is, a veteran or a young player. He's a great team guy. He fits in very well. He's been through a lot of basketball. And coming in in great shape -- there's times veterans try to get in shape in training camp and a coach has to weigh what he does when he gets in shape. Walt's there. "He's made big shots for us and done good things. I think he knows to just approach the game as he always has and just do what's in front of you." "The main thing is just going out playing basketball," Williams said. "I'll just come out and do the things I'm capable of doing. That should be no problem for me."
Mr. Cato, please listen carefully: "I'm very impressed with Walt coming in," Rockets coach Rudy Tomjanovich said. "He came in in great shape and he's out there doing what he does well. That's what you expect from a guy in his situation. He has the right approach -- positive, he's taken care of himself and he's playing well. He's just playing good basketball."
I found this to be pretty interesting...could it be that they will focus on certain players for different scrimmages or what? Still, Walt could have some use, but he may never be a starter again and he shouldn't have been one last season.
He should be the permanent backup shooting guard. I'd also like to see Walt and Rice on the floor at the same time. Imagine if Walt and Rice were both hot on the same night. Francis would collect 20 assists, and the Rockets would score 125 + points. I hope to see this lineup on the floor once or twice this year: Francis Mobley Williams Rice Jackson ...just as long as it isn't against a particularly good team, as this lineup would be murdered on D.
