Welcome
to the Hawks BasketBlog! This is where you can come to read analysis and
commentary on the Hawks as well as topics around the league. Check us out
throughout the season as we will be posting new material on the Hawks, the NBA,
and maybe a few other subjects as well. Want to participate? Submit questions
and comments to us at
hawks.mailbag@atlantaspirit.com
and we will try to answer as many as we can!
Note: the opinions expressed here are not those of the Atlanta Hawks organization or of the NBA.
With the Rocky Mountain Revue only a couple days away, practices are getting more intense at the Hawks practice facility. After the morning session we had a chance to speak to a couple of returning Hawks players, Anthony Grundy and John Edwards, which you can read about here.
And, here are a few more pics of the guys in action:
Solomon Jones gets ready for a fastbreak drill
Anthony Grundy shows his handle
Mike Woodson with Shelden Williams
-- The Web Guy | 5:00 p.m. 07/12/06 | Have a comment?
Hawks Add Speedy Claxton
The
Hawks made if official on Wednesday,
signing free agent point guard Craig “Speedy” Claxton to a contract. Stay
tuned to the Basketblog for an interview with Speedy and some photos from his
press conference from Philips Arena.
Press Conference Audio Archive
-- The Web Guy | 3:40 p.m. 07/12/06 | Have a comment?
Rookies/Summer Leaguers Take The Floor
The Hawks began preparation this week for the Rocky Mountain Revue summer league in Salt Lake City, as top picks Shelden Williams and Solomon Jones got their first reps on the Hawks practice court with the coaching staff as well as some of their future teammates. There are 19 players in camp right now, though less than that will make the trip out to Utah. We got some pics from practice yesterday, and spoke to a few players as well, which you can read about right here.
There are a few interesting players in camp (not to say that they aren't all interesting in some way or another, I just mean from a college basketball fan's point of view), including Cedric Bozeman from UCLA, who we spoke to after practice. If you remember, we last saw Bozeman helping lead UCLA to the NCAA title game. He is an interesting prospect - he was a highly-touted McDonald's All-American who played the point at 6-6, but injuries derailed much of his college career and he went unselected in the most recent NBA Draft.
Brandon Dean is in camp as well, which is a name most SEC fans should recognize, as he captained the Arkansas Razorbacks attack for four years. As a huge SEC basketball fan, I remember him very well - he is one of the fastest players I've ever seen. We will try to talk to him today or tomorrow if possible.
Here are a few pics from Tuesday's morning practice:
Shelden Williams defends Al Saunders during a drill
Marvin Williams on Cedric Bozeman
Coach Woodson observes from the baseline
Assistant coach Larry Drew instructs a few players
-- The Web Guy | 10:20 a.m. 07/12/06 | Have a comment?
Hawks center Zaza Pachulia participated in the NBA's Basketball Without Borders program in Vilnius, Lithuania. He kept a diary of his experiences exclusively for Hawks.com during his stay. Here is Zaza's report from the end of the camp:
The camp is over, and everything was good. The
last day of the camp was really fun - we had an all-star game from among all the
players. Unfortunately, my team (the East) lost against the West, but it was
still cool.
There were lots of good young prospects at the camp, and who knows, maybe some
of them will one day play
in NBA. It was good to practice with them though. These kids are lucky. I
remember when I was their age, I never had
this kind of chance to meet NBA players and work out with them.
Now that the camp is over I am back in the US getting ready for next season. I
am excited, and can't wait for October to get here so we can get started!
Zaza Pachulia with Hawks assistant coach Herb Brown at BWB Europe
-- The Web Guy | 1:20 p.m. 07/05/06 | Have a comment?
Here are some pics from Zaza Pachulia's trip to Vilnius, Lithuania, as part of Basketball Without Borders. For a full recap of the trip as well as full photo galleries, click here.
-- The Web Guy | 11:30 a.m. 07/05/06 | Have a comment?
Hawks center Zaza Pachulia is currently participating in the NBA's Basketball Without Borders program in Vilnius, Lithuania. He will be keeping a diary of his experiences exclusively for Hawks.com during his stay. Here is Zaza's report from Day One of the camp:
Today was the first day of the camp. First of all, I want to say that Lithuania is a very beautiful small country. The people here are so nice, and the most favorite and most popular sport here is basketball. Everybody watches basketball here, especially the NBA. They may have the most NBA players (Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Sarunas Jasikevicius) compared to other European countries, and most of the them are here. The place where the camp is taking place is nice. It's a facility with three gyms. There are 50 kids from 25 different countries here, so there is a lot of diversity.
In the morning practice, there were six stations. I worked with the kids on
passing and fundamentals - it was fun. I played with them a little bit durring
the workout and they tried to be tough with me - that was funny!
The second half of the day was spent having scrimmages. Herb Brown and I are the
coaches of the "Atlanta Hawks" team. He is the head coach, and I am the
assistant.
All in all, it was a good first day. By the end, I was very tired. These kids are great, but they take a lot of energy - it takes the same energy to practice with the Hawks as it does to coach these kids!
-- The Web Guy | 10:30 a.m. 07/02/06 | Have a comment?
Audio: Shelden Williams & Solomon Jones Press
Conf.
Hawks 2006 draft picks Shelden Williams & Solomon Jones were introduced
to the Atlanta media at a press conference at Philips Arena on Wednesday.
Click here
to listen to the press conference. And don't miss our special post-draft version
of Hawk Talk
Online.
(UPDATE: and here are some pics, courtesy of Scott Cunningham)
Shelden Williams
GM Billy Knight, Shelden, and Coach Woodson
Solomon Jones
-- The Web Guy | 4:35 p.m. 06/29/06 | Have a comment?
Click here to read the full transcript of the live NBA Draft Blog, courtesy of yours truly, The Web Guy.
-- The Web Guy | 3:50 p.m. 06/29/06 | Have a comment?
The
2006 NBA Draft is just
a day away, and the excitement is starting to ramp up big time. Rumors are all
over the place about which teams will be drafting which players, and which
superstars may be soon taking up new residences in new towns.
To be honest, your humble Web Guy has been following the draft since he was a little boy, and I can't remember more uncertainty heading into the final days. There are literally five different players who could hear their name called with the top pick, and yet any of those five, in the right circumstances, could fall as far as 9 or 10.
This afternoon Hawks GM Billy Knight (right) met with the local media to take questions and discuss tomorrow's festivities.
Here are a few snippets of what he had to say:
Knight Press Conference Audio:
-- The Web Guy | 4:50 p.m. 06/27/06 |
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The Hawks
brought in several players to work out Monday morning on the Hawks
practice court at Philips Arena. Though the media wasn't allowed in to watch,
players were made available afterwards to talk about the experience. In the
second group workout, PG prospects Randy Foye, Marcus Williams,
and Rajon Rondo (right) competed against each other. We caught up to them, as
well as Hawks coach Mike Woodson, after the workout.
The team will continue workouts this Friday as well.
Workout Audio:
And here are a few pics of the guys afterwards...
Marcus Williams, Rajon Rondo, and Randy Foye
Williams with the AJC's Steve Wyche
Foye answers questions for the media
-- The Web Guy | 12:00 p.m. 06/21/06 |
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The A-Town Dancer auditions are finally over. Though they are always fun (and by all means, you should check out all the really cool stuff we did over the week of the auditions), what's done is done and it is now time to turn our attention to the next item on the menu, the 2006 NBA Draft.
First of all, a couple friendly reminders. One, you should really think about
coming down to the
Hawks
Draft Party, being held from 6-10 p.m. at Philips Arena on June 28th.
Watch the NBA Draft with your fellow Hawks fans, get the chance to mingle with
the new dance team, and get interviews from some of your favorite players.
Also, we will be doing our second annual Draft Night Blog, which we did last season to launch the start of the Hawks BasketBlog. Feel free to chime in with comments and questions leading up to and during the evening's festivities as we see how the event unfolds and welcome the newest Hawks into the nest, as it were.
So let's re-start some draft talk by taking a look at the place the Hawks are current scheduled to pick, #5. For anyone who watched Game Three of the NBA Finals last night, you might have noticed a couple things:
- With Dallas trailing by two with less than 40 seconds remaining, Mavs G Devin Harris drove the lane and scooped in a lay-up to tie the game at 95-95.
- Now trailing by two with 1.0 seconds remaining, Dirk Nowitzki lobbed a pass to Josh Howard at the rim to try to tie the game, but Heat G Dwyane Wade tipped the ball away, preserving a 97-95 series-saving win for Miami.
What do these two plays have in common, you may be asking? I'll tell you: in each situation, a former #5 overall selection played a crucial role in the result - Harris in the former, Wade in the latter.
Looking at the history of the NBA Draft, and you will see a long list of #5 picks who turned out to be tremendous players in the league. Let's take a look at the last 15 drafts, with a comment for each:
2005 - Raymond Felton - finished fourth in Rookie of the Year
voting, appears to be PG of the future for Charlotte
2004 - Devin Harris - A whirling dervish, has had a coming out
party in this year's playoffs for Dallas
2003 - Dwyane Wade - Perhaps the heir to Air Jordan's throne, one
of the top 5 players in the entire league
2002 - Nikoloz Tskitishvili - Has yet to develop into a rotation
player in four seasons so far
2001 - Jason Richardson - One of the top young scorers in the
league, should have several All-Star games in his future.
2000 - Mike Miller - Rookie of the Year, also recently named NBA's
Sixth Man of the Year for 05-06 season
1999 - Jonathan Bender - Career never really got on track due to
injuries which caused him to retire this past season
1998 - Vince Carter - One of the games most popular and dominant players,
also a Rookie of the Year winner
1997 - Tony Battie - Never materialized into a starter, but still
a rotation player nearly a decade later.
1996 - Ray Allen - One of the best shooters in league history,
recently set NBA record for 3-pointers in a season.
1995 - Kevin Garnett - Spurred the trend of prep-to-pros, MVP in 2003-04
and perennial All-League performer
1994 - Juwan Howard - Though on downside of career now, has been a
consistent performer for a dozen years and was an All-Star in 1996
1993 - Isaiah Rider - A gifted but troubled player, still averaged 16.7
ppg in a nine-year career
1992 - LaPhonso Ellis - Injuries cut short a potentially brilliant
career; averaged 21.9 ppg in 55 games for Denver in 1996-97
1991 - Steve Smith - Current Hawks broadcaster and one of
franchise's best players of the past few decades - surprisingly only played in
one All-Star game
Not a bad list, is it? Of the 15, several are All-Stars and future Hall-of-Famers while only one is so far an out-and-out miss. While it is true that the successes of previous Number Fives will have no bearing whatsoever on the performance of this year's selection, it's nevertheless comforting to know that history shows there is tremendous value for the Hawks come draft night at their current spot on the board.
-- The Web Guy | 4:00 p.m. 06/14/06 |
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During the summer the NBA puts on several clinics all around the world as part of the Basketball Without Borders program. Recently, a group of players and coaches went to China, and the Hawks' Josh Childress was along for the trip. In addition, Zaza Pachulia is getting set to participate in another BWB clinic in Lithuania, starting June 30th.
Basketball Without Borders - Shanghai Edition
Chill, Jerome Williams, and Samuel Dalembert look on during the camp's All-Star
game
Chill gives instruction during the camp
-- The Web Guy | 3:00 p.m. 06/13/06 |
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NBA Action, It's Fantastic!
It's nice to be able to say that again, isn't it? If these playoffs have shown us one thing, it's that the days of clutch and grab basketball and nightly 78-72 finishes are going the way of the dinosaur. Seriously, how great have these playoffs been?
Tonight begins the finals, and for the first time in awhile, I think the
general public is sad the show is almost over. Dallas vs. Miami, may the best
team win. Both overcame tons of doubters to get this far, and both knocked off
teams that were chalk picks to still be playing as we hit mid-June.
Dennis "3-D" Scott, the Hawks radio color commentator, spent 52 games with Dallas during the 1997-98 NBA season. We caught up to him to get his take on the upcoming finals, which begin tonight with Game 1 in Dallas (8 p.m. ET on ABC).
Hawks.com: What is going to define this series?
Dennis Scott: The tempo. Each of these teams plays a style that conflicts with what their opponent needs to do to be successful. If Dallas can force the game into a faster pace, with Jason Terry and Devin Harris running up and down the floor, then I think the Mavericks will win. But if Miami can turn it into a halfcourt battle, then I give the Heat the advantage.
Hawks.com: Which players, aside from the obvious answers (Dirk, D-Wade, Shaq) need to step up for their team to win the title?
3D: I will choose a couple from each team. For Dallas, I think Josh Howard has to step up, especially since he will most likely get the assignment of guarding Wade. I also think the combination of Erick Dampier/DeSagana Diop will be important for them - you can't stop Shaq, and they shouldn't try to. They just need to play good, fundamental basketball, and if they can do that, it will help offset the big fella for Miami.
As far as the Heat, I think Antoine Walker is the biggest guy for them. He really has to step up against Dirk Nowitzki. He has been really good about playing within their team concept so far, and if he continues to do that, he can be a big help to them. Also, Jason Williams could be a sleeper for them. I don't know if he can keep up with Terry and Harris, but if he can make them work on the defensive end, that will help to slow them down.
Hawks.com: So, let's lay it on the line. Who is going to win this thing?
3D: I'm going to give you two predictions (laughs). I say if the Mavericks control tempo and make it an up-and-down affair, then Dallas will win in seven. If Miami slows it down, then I like Miami in five. But for Miami to win, they have to win one of the first two games on the road. People forget the finals are played in a 2-3-2 format, not like the 2-2-1-1-1 in the earlier rounds. So if Miami steals one of the first two in Dallas, I think they will come home and win all three at home to take home the title.
-- The Web Guy | 4:00 p.m. 06/08/06 |
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First Look At The Top Of The Draft
Well, once again the Hawks numbers failed to come up lucky in the NBA lottery, as the team failed to win the top pick for the tenth time since it's inception in 1985. The Hawks had the fourth-most combinations, but it was the Raptors moving up from the fifth spot to nab the #1 pick in the end.
My opinion? No real loss here. Unlike other years where there is a clear-cut player or two, the Hawks are not missing out on anyone by sliding down to fifth. While it's nice, of course, to have the opportunity to have your pick of the litter, I don't think anyone feels there will be much difference between the guys available at the five spot and at the one. In fact, if the draft were shuffled and mixed a million different times, I would argue the guy who gets picked by the Hawks at #5 would have a decent chance at going #1 in other iterations (that's right, I just used the word iterations), depending on who was drafting where.
Meanwhile, what is the point of writing a blog if you can't come up with a mock draft? Therefore, your humble Web Guy presents you with a knee-jerk top five picks for the upcoming draft (I probably don't need to say this, but I will anyway - these are MY opinions. Just because I suggest who the Hawks might pick at #5 doesn't mean we will, and it definitely doesn't mean this is what Billy Knight is thinking of doing. Got that? Good).
1. Toronto Raptors - Andrea Bargnani, Italy. It's hard to see an unknown go this high, but word on the street has this kid rated similar to Dirk Nowitzki when he came over from Germany. Bargnani supposedly projects to a small forward despite his seven-foot frame, and if he is as good as they say he is, would help create quite an imposing frontcourt in Toronto with Chris Bosh and Charlie Villanueva. Plus, Bryan Colangelo has shown in his time with the Suns to be unafraid of acquiring international talent.
2. Chicago Bulls (by way of New York) - LaMarcus Aldridge, Texas. Man, it is positively scary to think how good the Bulls might be in the next few years. After nearly pushing Miami to the limit in the first round this postseason, the Bulls are set to add a great piece in this draft (and the next, with New York's top pick next year as well) to their already immensely talented young roster. Aldridge would be a great fit in Chicago, as a low-post scoring threat is really the only thing this team appears to be missing. There is no reason to take Tyrus Thomas here, as they already have someone who fills his role in Tyson Chandler.
3. Charlotte Bobcats - Adam Morrison, Gonzaga. Morrison would be a terrific fit in Charlotte, a team sorely lacking in perimeter scorers. With Sean May, Emeka Okafor, and Primoz Brezec in the fold, there is no reason to draft a big man. The team does have Gerald Wallace at the three, but he is still more of a slasher and less a perimeter scorer than Morrison, who would finally provide the perimeter threat the Bobcats have sorely lacked in their two years of existence (sorry Matt Carroll).
4. Portland Trail Blazers - Tyrus Thomas, LSU. Portland needs a lot of everything, and with Joel Pryzbilla possibly leaving via free agency, an inside presence could be one of those items. The Blazers may end up being the one team who really lost out in this particular lottery, as Adam Morrison would have been a huge get for them as a close-to-hometown draw. The Blazers can allow Thomas to do what he does best - rebound and defend - while he adjusts to the NBA's offensive game, as Zach Randolph will dominate most of the touches on the low block.
5. Atlanta Hawks - Brandon Roy, Washington. Some are comparing Roy to Dwyane Wade, a jack-of-all trades guard who can shuttle comfortably between the point and shooting guard. Roy would give the Hawks even more versatility in the backcourt, as Coach Woodson could shuffle he and Joe Johnson back and forth between running the offense and looking more for their shot. Roy is a guy who, like Wade, has seen his stock rise considerably late in the game, and though may not have all the hype coming into the draft, could be a significant player in the NBA.
Who else might the Hawks look at with #5? There are still several players available (if the draft goes as I have predicted) there who would interest the Hawks as well:
Marcus Williams, UConn. Williams, widely acknowledged as the top point guard prospect out there, is maybe not a guy who a team would take as high as #2, but at #5, the value is there. Anyone who saw the NCAA Tournament can attest to Williams' ability to lead a team - he was basically the only guy who showed up in their win over Washington and loss to George Mason. Williams compares favorably to Utah's Deron Williams, who was an all-rookie selection this past season and was rumored to be Billy Knight's second choice last season had he not taken Marvin Williams.
Rudy Gay, UConn. Williams' teammate is another player rated very highly, and has been mentioned as a possible top pick in this draft since before the season even began. Gay is another player with a very well-rounded game, and could probably contribute right away for the Hawks after just a couple seasons in college.
Shelden Williams, Duke. The Hawks need some help in the defensive interior, and Williams fits that bill to a tee. A talented shot blocker and rebounder, Williams would give Atlanta someone who could alter shots and make players think twice about coming into the lane. May not be a great scorer, but with the offensive options already on board, the Hawks wouldn't need him to do that as much.
What do you think? Agree or disagree? Email in your best guesses at how the top of the draft will go down and we may post your thoughts here!
-- The Web Guy | 3:00 p.m. 05/24/06 |
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Peskowitz Uses Basketball To Break Down Barriers
The offseason is a time for many in the NBA to work on other projects. Some players work on acting or music careers, some go back to school to finish up degree tracks, and just about everyone works on their game. However, for Ed Peskowitz, one of the Hawks owners, he is using the start of the offseason to work on a unique project he hopes to grow into something special.
This past Tuesday
Peskowitz flew to Tel Aviv, Israel, to help facilitate a brainchild of his
called the Friendship Games, which will take place in
Tel Aviv from May 21-24. Teams from Northern
Ireland, Serbia-Montenegro, Turkey, Jordan, and Angola, as well as a team from
Jericho in the Palestinian West Bank and teams from around Israel are set to
take place in the games, which will feature a round-robin style
tournament with every team playing five games apiece. Overall, about 150
college-age players will take part.
"There is so much out there to remind these kids of what makes them different, but we want to use basketball as a thread to celebrate their similarities," said Peskowitz (right), who got to meet with Israeli President Moshe Katsav after arriving in Israel this week. "There will be a big focus on basketball of course, but we also plan to do other activities while we are there to bring the kids together."
Peskowitz is working with Arie Rosenzeiw, the Athletic Director of Tel Aviv University, and Illan Kowalsky, AD at The Inderdisciplinary Center in Herzliya, to put the event together, which will feature tours of important sites as well as several cultural activities in and around Tel Aviv in addition to the games.
The project is very similar to the basketball-as-ambassador programs the NBA runs, including Basketball Without Borders, which several Hawks are participating in this summer.
To top off the endeavor, the jet-setting Peskowitz will be flying back from Tel Aviv early on Tuesday morning to New Jersey, where he will represent the Hawks at the NBA Lottery proceedings later that night.
-- The Web Guy | 5:15 p.m. 05/19/06 |
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Ping Pong Balls Being Procured
The NBA has released the odds for the
2006 NBA Lottery.
Out of 1000
possible combinations that would result in the #1 overall pick, the Hawks
have 137 combinations (a 13.7% chance at the top spot, for you non-math majors
out there). Though Atlanta finished with the same record as Charlotte, the
Bobcats won a coin-flip and therefore are currently in the third spot with 138
chances. Obviously that one extra combination will most likely not make a
difference, but it does give the Bobcats the 3rd spot in the draft if form
holds, dropping the Hawks to fourth.
What does this all mean? Basically, it means the Hawks have a good chance to move up to the top pick, while being assured that the furthest down they could fall would be the 7th spot. For complete odds, click here.
The announcement of the lottery order will be broadcast live on ESPN on Tuesday, May 23, most likely during halftime of a game during the Eastern Conference Finals. Last season the Hawks had the best chance at getting the top selection, but Milwaukee moved up from the 6th spot to nab it.
For those interested in the draft process, here is a list of the current early-entry candidates. They have until June 18 to decide if they will remain in the draft. Something tells me this guy is going to return to school for more seasoning.
-- The Web Guy | 4:00 p.m. 05/11/06 |
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NBA Playoffs Into Second Round
The second round of the playoffs began on Sunday. We hope to have some analysis from some people with infinitely more knowledge of NBA basketball than The Web Guy's, but for what it's worth, here are my picks:
Clippers vs Suns - This series could be very interesting. The Suns are basically the Villanova of the NBA, with no real front court, only a collection of guards and guard-type forwards. That was ok in Round One when their low-post opposition was Kwame Brown, but with Elton Brand and Chris Kaman up next, I don't know if the Suns have enough. They will have to shoot really, REALLY well in my opinion to win this series. It's a shame the Suns can't stay healthy, because at full strength they really could win a title. I still say last year's series against the Spurs might have gone differently had Joe Johnson been healthy. The Clippers, meanwhile, though it's hard to fathom, may be the deepest team left in the playoffs. They have everything you could want on offense - ballhandlers, shooters, low-post scorers, etc. The issue for them is defense - as in, can they play enough of it to move on. Because of the Suns lack of frontcourt depth, I say they will move on. I'm not guaranteeing it by any stretch of the imagination, but I will just plant the seed - this Clippers team is actually good enough to win the whole thing. Clips in six.
Heat vs Nets - Neither team looked particularly impressive in the first round, to be honest. But if the Shaq who played in Game 6 against Chicago (30 pts, 20 rebounds) shows up, the combination of him and Dwyane Wade should be enough to push them through. New Jersey has talent for sure, but two things in particularly make me nervous. One, they let Anthony Johnson score 40 on them. If AJ can drop 40, what can Wade do? Second, they barely beat the Pacers, who played without Peja Stojakovic for most of the series. Something about that doesn't sit well with me. On the plus side for them, Nedad Krstic has been good for a few things in these playoffs - he is establishing himself as a potential All-Star big man, and his first name has been pronounced at least eleven different ways by his teammates and coaches. Heat in six.
Spurs vs Mavericks - Clearly the marquee match-up of this round, and presumably the favorite to make the NBA Finals from the Western Conference. Game 1 went to San Antonio by an 87-85 count, with Bruce Bowen applying his trademark sticky defense to Dirk Nowitzki and holding him to just two points in the final quarter. This series should be fantastic the rest of the way as well, with a ton of great players on each side. The Spurs are the champs until proven otherwise, but Dallas definitely has the firepower and personnel to knock them off. Can they do it? I say it all depends on Josh Howard. Not to pin it all on one guy, but if the Spurs are concentrating on Nowitzki the whole series (and they will be), Dallas has to have someone else there to pick up the slack. Howard is my choice to be that person for the Mavs. However, the champs are still the champs, and for that reason alone, I just can't pick against them. Spurs in seven.
Pistons vs Cavaliers - It'd be nice to think that Sunday's Game 1 blowout for Detroit can be written off to Cleveland's fatigue from a hard-fought series win over the Wizards in Round One, but I am afraid that's simply not the case. Cleveland is not in Detroit's league, and neither is anyone else in the Eastern Conference. LeBron will put up at least one stunning performance in this series to remind everyone of what is to come, but in the end he will fall well short. Pistons in five.
-- The Web Guy | 4:00 p.m. 05/08/06 |
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Marvin Named 2nd-Team All-Rookie
Some
props on a Thursday afternoon to Hawks rookie (is he still a rookie now that the
season is over?)
Marvin Williams, who made the
NBA's second team All-Rookie squad. That makes three rookies in two
seasons to gain that honor, after Josh Childress and Josh Smith both made the
same team last year.
The recognition is deserved, though this blogger admits he is slightly surprised given the relative lack of attention the team has gotten this season (remember when none of the Hawks youngsters were invited to the Rookie-Sophomore game?). Over the course of the year, Marvin's game improved by leaps and (re)bounds.
Look at his stats, separated by month, from his inaugural season:
| G | MPG | OFF | DEF | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG | |
| November | 14 | 22.2 | 1.3 | 2.7 | 4.0 | .7 | .4 | .50 | 5.5 |
| December | 14 | 21.7 | .9 | 3.7 | 4.6 | .7 | .9 | .14 | 6.2 |
| January | 15 | 23.3 | 1.2 | 3.6 | 4.8 | .7 | .6 | .27 | 8.5 |
| February | 11 | 27.1 | 1.5 | 3.1 | 4.6 | 1.2 | .6 | .55 | 9.3 |
| March | 15 | 25.3 | 2.1 | 3.2 | 5.3 | .5 | .5 | .13 | 10.4 |
| April | 10 | 31.0 | 2.6 | 3.5 | 6.1 | 1.2 | .6 | .30 | 12.3 |
Notice his rebounding and scoring, each of which increased every single month (aside from a slight dip in rebounds in February). Williams was not thrown into the fire by Mike Woodson and his staff, and as such was given time to grow into his role on the team. Williams is a team player, and whereas other players might have chafed at not being given a starring role, he readily accepted the responsibilities the coaching staff assigned him and played his part well - much like he did at North Carolina, where he came off the bench to help lead the Tar Heels to a national title.
Congrats to Marvin - and to Salim Stoudamire as well, who might have made this team as well had his season not ended prematurely. He was amongst the group also receiving votes as well though.
-- The Web Guy | 4:00 p.m. 05/04/06 | Have a comment?
