Hornets.com’s 1-on-1: New Jersey’s Marcus Williams, Mark Jackson
March 13, 2007
Hornets.com’s Jim Eichenhofer interviewed New Jersey guard Marcus Williams and New Jersey television analyst Mark Jackson during the Nets’ visit to the Ford Center on Tuesday.
Williams, a teammate of Hornets rookie Hilton Armstrong in college at Connecticut, was expected by many to be a lottery pick in the 2006 NBA draft, but fell to No. 22 overall. Williams is the backup point guard for the Nets, playing behind star Jason Kidd.
Jackson was an NBA point guard from 1987 through 2004, winning the NBA Rookie of the Year award in 1987-88 as a member of the New York Knicks. He now teams with legendary play-by-play man Marv Albert during Nets broadcasts on the YES Network, and also serves as a game analyst on ABC’s national coverage of the NBA.
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New Jersey guard Marcus Williams
Q: You are friends with the Hornets’ Hilton Armstrong after you played together at Connecticut. How often do you talk with Hilton about your experiences as rookies? What are some of the topics you discuss?
A: We talk probably about four or five times a week about random stuff, such as ‘Did you see (former UConn teammate) Rudy (Gay) dunk on so and so?’ [grins] Just random stuff like cars, or something that might have happened during the day due to the fact that we’re NBA rookies.
Q: Yeah, Rudy had a pretty nice dunk against the Hornets a few weeks ago where he dribbled the length of the court on a fast break and looked like he jumped from about the foul line. Did you see that play on the highlights?
A: [laughs] No, but I DID see where Hilton got dunked on by LeBron James. Did Hilton tell you about the message I left him about that dunk? I left him a message (on voice mail) about that dunk, and Hilton probably still has it. I think he saved my message, because he told me he was laughing pretty hard when he heard it.
Q: Obviously Hilton hasn’t gotten a chance to play a lot recently, but what are some of the things you see from him that you think will make him a good NBA player in the future?
A: Nah, I don’t think he’s going to be any good. [laughs] Just kidding.
He’s athletic, he can shoot the ball and run the floor. He’s also great on defense. But I really don’t think he knows the game yet, as well as he should. But give him a couple years, and he will progress.
Q: At UConn, you had so many talented players on that team, were there certain things you saw from Hilton that he wasn’t able to show because of the talent around him? It seems like he has more offensive ability than his college stats would indicate.
A: His freshman year he didn’t really play at all. His sophomore year, we had Josh (Boone), Charlie (Villanueva) and Emeka (Okafor). His junior year, he didn’t play again. As a senior, he was a captain and the Big East Defensive Player of the Year and made some of the biggest shots for us in the biggest games. When I see the things he does (now), I’m not too surprised.
Q: I would imagine that one of your goals this season was to show people that you should have been picked higher than No. 22 in the 2006 NBA draft. Do you think you’ve done that?
A: Well, I’ve had ups and downs. Some nights I feel like I have shown that; other nights I haven’t. I think the league is about being consistent. The thing about the NBA is, you play four games a week. The superstars play well in all four games, not one or two. That was something Jason Kidd told me, that that’s how you separate yourself from other players in the league.
Q: Wasn’t Jason one of your favorite players as a kid? What are some of the pointers you’ve picked up from him as his backup?
A: He was one of my favorite players. The main thing he’s told me is, ‘Never take plays off.’ I tend to stand there and watch at times and wait for someone else to make a play. If you watch him play, there are (sequences) where he makes the defensive stop, gets the (defensive) rebound himself, AND makes the assist that results in a basket. He never takes plays off, and that’s something that I’m really trying to learn. That’s one of the biggest things he’s stressed to me.
Jackson
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New Jersey broadcaster Mark Jackson
Q: During your playing career, did you envision that you’d be a broadcaster when you retired?
A: I was a communications major at St. John’s, so I prepared myself for it. When I was a youngster, I would watch games and play the role of everybody, whether it was the coach, referees, players or announcers. So I covered all the bases. I’m really having a great time doing it.
Q: You were well-known as a player for using your size to back down and post up other point guards. Regarding the rule that the league instituted that prevents players from backing down a defender for five seconds or more below the foul line extended, should that rule be known as the ‘Mark Jackson Rule?’ Or should it be known as the ‘Charles Barkley Rule?’
A: [grins] That’s an interesting one. I think it should be a combination. Charles was a Hall of Fame player who was incredible with his back to the basket. I tried to emulate him, but as a point guard. So I guess I will take a 50-50 split on that and be happy with it.
Q: Injuries have severely hurt the Nets this season, particularly ones to Nenad Krstic and Richard Jefferson. Now that Jefferson has returned to the lineup, how confident are you that the Nets will make the playoffs in the East?
A: They’re a proven team, having gone to the NBA Finals a couple times. They’ve had a great deal of success in recent years. But at the same time, you’ve got to get it done on the floor. It will be interesting to see how it plays out.
Q: What is your assessment of the progress of Nets rookies Marcus Williams and Josh Boone, both of whom were teammates of the Hornets’ Hilton Armstrong at Connecticut?
A: I think (Connecticut head coach) Jim Calhoun has some explaining to do, when you talk about a team that had four first-round picks and didn’t win it all (in the NCAA Tournament). [grins] But it’s good to see some fresh talent, and I think both guys are going to be around for a long time to come.
Q: Prior to the Hornets’ recent losing streak, several analysts were beginning to mention former Nets head coach Byron Scott as a Coach of the Year candidate. What is your opinion of what he has done since taking over the Hornets? Last season they improved by 20 wins, and this year they’ve hung around the West playoff race despite a multitude of injuries.
A: Byron is a former teammate of mine (with the Indiana Pacers in 1994-95) and I am extremely proud of him. He’s done a great job as a coach, he just continues to get better, and I’m happy for him.
Q: You do a segment during your Nets broadcasts on the YES Network called ‘You’re Better Than That!’ where you call out someone in the NBA for doing something dumb or perplexing. Can you give Hornets.com a sneak preview of who will be the subject of ‘You’re Better Than That!’ tonight?
A: We’re actually working on it right now. If you have any suggestions, I’m more than happy to take them under consideration. [grins] It’s something that I put a lot of time into. If nothing is out there that really stands out, I usually just wait until the next game. But if you have any suggestions, let me know.
