Jay Williams Working Out for Houston : UPDATE - He's coming for a 2nd visit

That article is in that thread too...

http://bbs.clutchfans.net/showthread.php?t=101587

 

I hope he's been playing possum in his previous workouts and saving his amazing lateral mobility for us. Yeah, hope springs eternal... If he ever makes it to the NBA again, wherever he plays he'll be a fan favorite.

 

ya i hope he makes our team a good risk reward benefit.

 

Welcome aboard if that's what happens!

 

If he goes to the Rox, a trade is truly in the works + 1 cut (Ward)

 

Translation: "I didn't want my post to be at the end of the other thread where nobody would give me credit for it so I'm going to start a new thread anyway"......hey I'm with ya brother

 

Sing the man, cun the char"LIE" Ward man.

 

For him to come all the way back from that terrible accident where he basically had to learn to walk again I say give him a shot. He's made it back to 80% from the accident so obviously he's very determined to play basketball again.

 

I say sign him up. Yao could always use another waterboy.

Remember all that smack JW was talking about Yao around draft time?

Uh huh.

Now it's going to be 'Yes Sir, Mr. Yao, here's your water. Here's your towel.'

and Yao should get into it too: 'JW!! Time to rub the bunions! And rub Colin's this time too.'

Yes Sir Mister Yao!

 

You are too mean!

 

http://espn.go.com/dickvitale/vcolumn020621jay-yao.html

Yao over Jay? Rockets will regret it
By Dick Vitale
SPECIAL TO ESPN.COM

June 21, 2002
It looks like 7-foot-5 Chinese center Yao Ming will be the top choice of the Houston Rockets in the upcoming NBA draft. Rockets coach Rudy Tomjanovich and the Houston entourage visited China, and they were impressed enough to want to make Ming their center in a lineup that includes Steve Francis and Cuttino Mobley in the backcourt.

Dickie V sees Duke's Jason Williams (right) as a slam-dunk star in the NBA.
But I have a gut feeling the Rockets are making a mistake. I think they'll be sorry they passed on Duke's Jay Williams. There's no doubt in my mind that he will be a superstar and that people in Chicago will be ecstatic about getting him at No. 2.

Think about this Chicago Bulls lineup: Williams at point guard, Jalen Rose at shooting guard, and Tyson Chandler, Eddy Curry and Marcus Fizer up front. Bulls coach Bill Cartwright will love having Rose's experience and knowledge together with Williams, the young phenom.

Williams is a lock for stardom. If I were the Rockets, I would pick him No. 1 and package Francis in a deal for experienced help inside. That says something about how I view Williams' potential. As for Mr. Ming, he has loads of potential, skills and finesse at 7-foot-5. He has great touch, but it's a different world in the NBA compared to starring for the Shanghai Sharks. It's more physical in the NBA, with the banging inside from bigger, more athletic guys.

There are lots of "ifs" with Mr. Ming, but none with Mr. Williams. It's the big guy vs. little guy debate, but point guards are so vital in the NBA today. Just look at Jason Kidd and Michael Bibby and their playoff performances! The point-guard position is so important on all levels, be it high school, college or the pros. Point guards are the quarterbacks on the court.

To me, Williams is another Isiah Thomas. A player like him is a rarity. Look at the championship banners flying in Detroit, thanks largely to Isiah. That's the kind of success I see ahead for Jay Williams.

I know Rudy T has made his mind up, and I love his competitiveness. But if he doesn't want to trade Stevie Franchise, he could package Williams in a deal. I still feel that Yao Ming could be the second coming of LaRue Martin, the big man who was a first-round bust of the Portland Trail Blazers in 1972.

My gut feeling tells me the Rockets are making a mistake, baby, in evaluating their overall No. 1 pick. Still, Rudy T could shock America by having NBA commissioner David Stern announce Williams' name as the top pick. Then Houston would be moving toward the winner's circle.

 

Why not give him a 2 year guaranteed contract with a team option for year 3?

At least he has a chance of seeing the court, unlike, Baker, Mooch, and Ward.

DD

 

At least he has a chance of seeing the court, unlike, Baker, Mooch, and Ward.

Ya know those three have the best Rocket season tickets. They have no problem with their view of the court, from the end of the bench.

 

ESPN 790 just now confirmed this.

 

"Now go have *** with Charlie Murphy."

 

Why would you give ANYONE a 2-year guaranteed contract when he may not be able to play half the first year AND there are questions as to whether he'll ever regain his full lateral movement, which is so incredibly important for a perimeter player?

I think if we works out well for the Rockets, they can sign him and be patient because they have plenty of guards on the roster. He could stay on the inactive list through December if necessary.

But, this guy had nearly a crushed pelvis 2 years ago. This was an injury from which many thought he'd be lucky to walk again without pain let alone play basketball. So, cautiously reserved judgement would seem to be the most wise course of action.

 

I don't know why we would add JW to an already crowded backcourt. He's already said in an interview that he wants to come back and be more than a role player. That he thinks that he can be an allstar player in the league. That confidence is nice and all, but that means that he's going to want minutes. And I don't see how he's going to get minutes in our backcourt unless he's head and shoulders better than a number of proven guards.

JVG has said that in his experience too many guys fighting for minutes can hurt chemistry. I don't see how this can help. I say we give JW the lowdown on our guard situation and tell him that it would be hard for him to get minutes but wish him well in his career. Basically shrug him off but still give him some attention. Then let him sign somewhere else and let him prove himself there, and then go after him when he hits free agency with our MLE. Kind of like how it worked out with Derek Anderson.

If Miami lands him, I could see him getting some good minutes but be out of their longterm plans if he plays well because the Heat don't want to go deep into the tax when Wade gets his extension. They let Damon Jones go because they didn't want to give him more than two years due to this reason.

And if he doesn't pan out then we don't lose anything out of it.

 

Bingo- If this guy almost wasnt going to walk again why do any of ya'll think we need to give him a spot.. Brent Price wasnt the same player after his first ACL problem let alone his second, I would say that was less of a injury that what Jay had to go through.. We already have 2 crappy point guards on our bench we dont need another..