Look, much like everyone here, I don't know a lot about Yao, but I know he sounds like a lot of trouble. I DO, however, know a lot about Jay Williams, and he's the REAL DEAL. As a Duke fan (I'm admitting my bias, but I've been a Rockets fan longer than a Duke fan), I saw an awful lot of Jay Williams, and aside from his obvious talent, he's AMAZING during the clutch. Forget that stupid free-throw; instead, remember Williams scoring 8 points in 18 seconds against Maryland to win a game for Duke where Duke was down by 10 points with less than 1 minute to go. That's basketball magic that is, dare I say, Jordan-esque. Remember the 18 STRAIGHT points that he scored against UCLA in the Sweet Sixteen last year. And don't forget games against Kentucky and Maryland where everyone knew he was taking the shots and still could not be stopped before getting 30+ points and more importantly big Duke wins. Even when the guy had a bad game, he could always turn it on in the clutch. He ALWAYS hit ridicolous shots at the end of the game to stick daggers in the opponent's heart. I believe it's this kind of intangible magic that makes champions. More than Michael Jordan's stats, what made him the greatest player ever was how much he relished the clutch shot, and how the other teams feared him taking that shot. I'm not suggesting that Jay Williams is the next Michael Jordan because there will never be another, but I do see similarities in the way Jay Williams also relishes the clutch shot and the way the other team KNOWS he'll hit it. Steve Francis is a fantastic NBA player, and I believe he and JW could comprise the most devestating guard combo in the league. However, I have never seen the competitiveness in Steve Francis that I have in JW. To pass on a player like JW because we already have a great guard in Francis is not seeing the "forest for the trees." Winning, not stats, is the big picture. I'm sorry but the Rockets have a much better shot of winning with SF/JW than that ball-hogging, isolationist Cat Mobley. Is he a winner? Furthermore, the Bulls won numerous championships without a center. While the Lakers have a dominant center, it's not the fact the he's a center that wins games for them, it's the fact that he's dominating. JW & SF together with Eddie G. would be dominating for years. I'm very afraid of the possibility of five years from now watching Jay Williams winning numerous championships with his amazing clutch shots, while Yao Ming wins his championships for Shanghi. DRAFT JAY WILLIAMS!!!
I generally can't stand Duke but I couldn't agree more. (see my post J. Williams is worthy of No. 1) Cuttino is not a winner, and Francis better start showing clutch/winner characteristics. I've seen enough close Rocket's games to know that Steve is a good player, but has not proven himself to be the fierce competitor, clutch shotmaker that the best players are. I think we need to package Mobley and Taylor/Thomas for a rebounder/defender (like Antonio McDyess) and go ahead and draft J. Williams. Anybody remember Isiah Thomas and Joe Dumars and the Bad Boys? I couldn't stand them, but they were winners. Well, I'd take my chances with Francis and Williams. We just need to surround them with people that are mentally tough enough win. I'd like to use our 15th pick to get that Amare Stoudamire kid. Everything I've read says he can rebound and defend. I could care less that he couldn't hit the ocean from the beach with his shot. Give me someone that is tough, brash and willing to get dirty. I've had enough of the finesse big men - Kato, Taylor, Collier. I'm not sure that Yao Ming is that much of an upgrade from Kato.
