Long-Distance Relationship
Marvin Williams is warming up to the idea of living more behind the three-point line.

By Jon Cooper

Marvin Williams broke out of quite a drought when he buried a three-pointer with 8:02 remaining in the first quarter of the game at New Orleans on November 5.

The drought covered 86 games — counting last year's playoffs — and lasted 366 days.

Williams hit his last three-pointer in Detroit, on Nov. 4, 2007, a heave from beyond half court beating the first half buzzer. It would be his only three-point field goal of the season, as he soured on the shot, attempting only nine more threes the rest of the season, none after missing his lone attempt on March 8th at Philips Arena.

Looking to improve his game following last season's Game Seven loss in Boston, Williams rededicated himself during the off-season, to regaining his touch from three-point range. His road to improvement was simple.

"Just taking a bunch," he said. "I worked out with a guy, LaVelle Moten. He's a coach at North Carolina-Central University. I worked out a ton with him this summer and he got me getting up a lot of shots. I couldn't put a number on it. He makes us get up a lot of shots, though."

After shooting four-for-11 from three during pre-season (that was despite missing his last four tries over the final three exhibition games) Williams was eager to show what he could do from downtown.

After sitting out the season opener in Orlando because of a suspension from his hard foul on Boston's Rajon Rondo, Marvin went 0-for-2 in the home opener against Philadelphia, But ever since that first three against the Hornets Williams has been on a tear, hitting an absurd 73% (11-15) in seven games, including a near game-winner against the Celtics.

His confidence has been bolstered by his off-season efforts as well as his pre-season work with Hawks first-year assistant coach Mark Price.

"He's going to be a huge addition to our team," said Williams. "Just for me personally, the time he takes out every day shooting with me, he's helped me. He's got me squaring my body, it makes the shot a little easier for me when I get further away from the rim. But it's not just threes, mid-range, short game."

"I think Marvin has always been comfortable shooting in the 15- to 18-foot range. Our goal this year is to try to stretch him and make him a legitimate threat from the three-point line," said Price, a career .402 shooter from behind the arc, and a two-time winner of the Long Distance Shootout at NBA All-Star Weekend. "It's not only physical, getting comfortable doing that, but it's also a mental process to be comfortable in those positions. So we're just trying to get up a lot of threes every day and try to get him as comfortable in the situation as possible."

Practice is making, if not perfect, certainly better. Williams seems certain to top his single-season-bests of 13 three-pointers and .245 three-point field goal percentage, both set his rookie season of 2005-06. Seeing those marks fall wouldn't surprise Price.

"He's a good shooter but he's never really shot the ball from that deep," he said. "The tendency is if you shoot one and miss it not to shoot another one, kind of deal, rather than continue to believe that you have the ability to do it. I feel like he has the potential to be a really good three-point shooter. It's just a matter of keep working at it and having the confidence to shoot it when it comes your way."

That message has already struck a chord in Williams.

"He's instilled a lot of confidence in me," said the fourth-year small forward. "He's told me he feels I can be a really good shooter, that I have the potential to be a good shooter. He makes you work on it every day and that's the biggest thing. He's extremely confident in my shooting ability. When a great shooter is confident that you can shoot, that makes it a little easier."

Jon Cooper is a freelance writer based in Atlanta