The Los Angeles Clippers today signed free agent guard Jason Williams, according to Vice President of Basketball Operations Elgin Baylor. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not announced. A veteran of 10 NBA seasons, Williams joins the Clippers after playing the last three years for Miami, where he helped the Heat to the 2006 NBA Championship. Williams, 32, has played in 679 career regular season games and averaged 11.4 points, 6.3 assists and 2.4 rebounds for a total of three teams. The six-foot-one, 180 pound point guard has also started and played in 53 career playoff contests, averaging 9.8 points, 3.7 assists, 2.2 rebounds and 0.9 steals. “Jason is an experienced and proven player,” Baylor said. “He is a terrific ball handler with great passing ability and court vision.” Playing alongside new Clippers teammate Ricky Davis with the Heat last season, Williams averaged 8.8 points, 1.9 rebounds and 4.6 assists in 28.1 minutes while appearing in 67 games. The West Virginia native finished eighth in the league with a 3.37 assists per turnover ratio and 12th with a 0.91 steals per turnover ratio. “We are excited to add Jason to our squad,” Clippers head coach Mike Dunleavy said. “He brings added veteran leadership and playoff experience to our backcourt.” Drafted by the Sacramento Kings in 1998 following his junior year at the University of Florida, Williams was named to the 1999 NBA All-Rookie Team following an electrifying first season that saw him average 12.8 points and 6.0 assists. Over the next nine seasons, Williams has emerged as one of the most dependable point guards in the NBA, averaging double-figures in scoring and at least five assists per game in eight of his ten years in the league. Williams moved to Memphis for the 2001-02 season and over the next four seasons became the Grizzlies all-time assists leader and all-time leader in three-point field goals attempted. Williams joined Miami prior to the 2005-06 season that ended with an NBA Championship. The Clippers new-look roster now stands at 14 players as Los Angeles has revamped its roster by adding a total of 10 new faces for the 2008-09 season. Below is an update of the Clippers off-season transactions
Kaman/Skinner/Jordan Camby/Thomas/Novak Thornton/Davis/Novak Mobley/Gordon/Taylor Davis/Williams/Hart Clippers have vastly improved...
Haha not good enough to get into the playoffs in the west. Dont get me wrong, they did pick up good players, but probably still not good enough.
Yeah that's a surprisingly talented team. However, I don't think they'll have any chemistry at all on the court. We'll see I guess. I could easily see Baron mail it in now that he got paid.
i wonder how much he cost them. I would have loved to see a Jaywill - Adelman reunion. Maybe if we need point guard help we can make a move for him before the dead line.Unless they used mle money to sign him then we could not. Are the clippers even over the cap right now?
Clippers signed him for the vet minimum. i ljust ove it. Miami Heat starters are coming off the bench for one of the deepest teams in the NBA... First Ron Artest and now this....
If it doesn't burst apart at the seams, your team will be better next season, but not vastly. You have a couple of combustable players and a gas can for a coach. KA BOOM!
I don't think Adelman liked him so much. He was flashy and undisciplined. (He has toned down a lot since then, though). That team became real championship contender after they traded Williams for Bibby who was much more steady and a better shooter.
We may not make the playoffs which is possible but we will be vastly better then last year. This was the roster last year: Kaman/Thomas/Maggette/Mobley/Knight Fazekas/Powell/Thornton/Ross/Dickau The Clippers were lucky to win 2-3 games much less 23..
We don't need Jason "White Chocolate" Williams when we already have Rafer "Milk Chocolate" Alston. They both are good ball-handling PGs with streaky shooting, but Rafer has better health and plays much better D.
Clippers seem to be in win-now mode. It's kinda sad that the best the Clips can do in win-now mode is surround their one superstar player (Baron Davis) with players who are washed-up or at least about to leave their prime (Camby, Mobley, R. Davis, Williams, Skinner, Thomas). IMO The Clips' real success depends on how fast Thornton, Jordan (and maybe Novak) can develop. This team would at least make the playoffs in the East, but in the West the best I see them doing is the 8th seed and can drop as low as 12th seed IMO.
Win now and Win Later. The Clippers will have over 20 million dollars in cap space in the 2010 offeason. With a Nucleas of Kaman/?/Thornton/Gordon/Davis and DeAndre Jordan who could be a young Marcus Camby...
I honestly think the clippers have a shot at getting the eighth seed, edging out the mavs. suns 6th blazers 7th clippers 8th mavs 9th
I think their success hinges on their 2 guard play. If Gordon is a bust and Mobley continues to decline then they won't get very far. If those two play well i believe they can make the playoffs. I think their solid in the frontcourt, at the 3 and at PG now.
only thing about the clippers, it seems like they have a lot of pieces who don't fit together. also, what kind of team are they going to be ? up and down or half court ? it would seem by adding davis they want to get up and down, but isnt dunleavy traditionally a half court, solid D type guy ?
shirley the J-Will addition means Baron will play some 2, he certainly shoots enough and is wide enough to bang with opposition 2s for 10 minutes a game they certainly have a bizarre mix of players, maybe they will win a bunch of games, if not they will be entertaining and create loads of headlines, a reality show based around this team would be great, the personalities would make great tv also they are loaded at the 2, perhaps its time for Morey to bring the Cat home
