Williams' words music to Bulls' ears June 9, 2002 BY ROMAN MODROWSKI STAFF REPORTER Listening to Jay Williams during interview sessions Saturday for projected lottery picks, it was easy to imagine the grin spreading across Jerry Krause's face. After every draft, Krause likes to extol the character and pedigree of his draft selections, and Williams has enough qualities in those areas to keep Krause beaming. Williams even wants to be drafted by the Bulls with the second pick, a desire not often found with recent lottery candidates, including Kenyon Martin and Darius Miles. But the marriage is a long way from being consummated. Teams such as the Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Clippers are expected to make strong offers to the Houston Rockets for the No. 1 pick to land Williams. The Rockets, though, are focusing most of their attention on China's 7-5 Yao Ming. After initial reluctance from Chinese authorities, the Rockets sent a delegation to China on Saturday to appraise Yao's availability. ''It's hard to say what's going to happen with the draft because Houston's trying to figure out the whole Yao Ming thing,'' said Mike Dunleavy Jr., who has yet to commit to the draft and has until June 19 to make a decision. Dunleavy's decision could be affected by Yao's circumstances because Dunleavy could be an attractive alternative at No. 1 if the Rockets feel strangled by the red tape surrounding Yao. If Dunleavy believes he has a chance to be picked first, his decision to leave school likely would be an easy one. Williams works out for the Bulls on Thursday, so he plans to stick around and check out his potential new hometown. ''I'm going to look around here, but in the same sense, it's hard because I don't want to put the draft jinx on Chicago and say, 'I want to come here,' and then draft day comes, and I'm going someplace else,'' Williams said. Williams' only workout has been for the Warriors, who have the third pick. He's expected to work out for the Rockets after his visit to Chicago. Williams, 20, will earn his sociology degree after just three years at Duke. The point guard, who led the Blue Devils to the national championship as a sophomore, will finish classes on June 26, which is the day of the draft. ''This would be a great situation,'' said Williams, who believes he can help the Bulls win immediately. "Chicago's fan support is great. And with Jalen Rose, Tyson Chandler and Eddy Curry, there are a lot of pieces to the puzzle. I'd love to be here. It's a great fit.'' If Williams does end up as the No. 1 pick because of Yao's status, Dunleavy could wind up with the Bulls. Dunleavy has already discussed his situation with Krause, and the 6-9 small forward plays the position of most urgency for the Bulls. ''I've known [Krause] for a while, and he's been really helpful helping me make a good decision,'' Dunleavy said. ''The Bulls would be great.''
