Day 10 Workouts: Williams and McGuire

by Matt McQueeny, NJNets.com

The most important question posed today to the 6’7” forward from Arizona was what his teammates and coaches will call him if he were to be drafted by the New Jersey Nets.

“I’d have to come up with something,” said Marcus Williams, this one a sophomore small forward from the Wildcats. “I’ll try to figure something out.”

Williams went up against Dominic McGuire of Fresno State in a 1-on-1 workout at the New York Knicks facilities in Tarrytown, NY. Both players are early entry candidates – McGuire just finished his junior year, though he did transfer from California after his sophomore year – but both have signed with agents so they will surely be in the draft.

While this Marcus Williams is a good deal bigger and plays at a different position than the Nets’ Marcus Williams, they both share the scout-enviable trait of being playmakers.

“A big plus for him – for me scouting him – is his playmaking ability,” said Nets General Manager Ed Stefanski, who has become the voice of the pre-draft season.

“I love people to make other guys better and he does that.”

“When you do your body of work during the year, you know that he is a playmaker. He’s a good ball handler; he’s got good size and length.”

The questions for Williams is the consistency on his jump shot – and, further down the line, hitting the NBA three – but right off the bat he will bring versatility.

Said Williams, “I’m just really hungry man; whatever it is they want me to do. Going out there, and doing whatever they need. Defense, scoring, I’m keeping my mind open for any door that opens for me.”

Stefanski labeled Fresno State’s McGuire as a “slasher/scorer.”

“Very athletic, has a NBA body right now. He too will have to work on his range.”

The 6’8”, 210 pound forward will also bring versatility.

“I play multiple positions: two, three and four, one sometimes. I played the one in high school and in college a little bit.”

Yes, Phoenix was – perhaps coincidentally – his first pre-draft workout. There are modern day comparisons to Boris Diaw.

“Just because he does it all, he plays multiple positions, and rebounds and is a great passer,” said McGuire, who said the difference is that he is a lot quicker than Diaw.

“My game is more towards Scottie Pippen because he’s long and athetic. He also could play the point forward, was a great defender. I think that’s my biggest asset: defense and rebounding.”

Defensively, McGuire – at a predominantly perimeter position – amassed a somewhat astounding 114 blocks, good for a fifth-best-in-the-nation 3.6 a game.

“I take pride in defense. I guess being long and athletic and having good timing helps a lot.”

He also had averages of 13.5 points and 9.8 rebounds.

>>Back to Nets Draft Central