October 16, 2009

The Point? A Practice Proposition

Devin Harris is out tonight with the strained right groin he suffered against the Celtics on Tuesday, which bumps Rafer Alston into the Nets' starting lineup and opens time behind him. But with a single sentence, Lawrence Frank put the lid on thoughts of Terrence Williams running the offense for any significant in-game stretch.

"We’ve thrown Terrence there a little bit, but I’d like to keep him off the point," Frank said. "He may get there (eventually), but it’s a lot for a rookie to try to do."

The coach wants Williams to focus on shooting guard and small forward, two positions at which he'll be able to find time and achieve success quicker than at point. Even for natural point guards, the adjustment to the NBA usually takes a few years; for Chauncey Billups, it took four teams.

Alston pointed out that though the 6-foot-6 Williams will have a height advantage against most point guards (who generally top out at 6-4), the transition from collegiate point-forward to professional PG could be unforgiving.

"Point guard in this league is the most important position," Alston said. "It’s not the easiest thing to do, to go from shooting guard in college to point guard in the NBA. About 80 percent of those people have failed."

Williams has been running point often in practice, particularly with Harris and still-rehabbing Keyon Dooling sidelined. He feels he's progressing, watching Alston and Harris to mimic their actions, but is hoping it soon carries over into games.

During the four preseason games, Williams has gotten some run initiating the offense, but overall has a 6:8 assist-to-turnover ratio. Four of the assists (and a lone turnover) came during a 33-minute showing against the 76ers on October 9th. He still seems to be thinking pass first, likely endearing him to teammates even as it makes defending him easier.

Coach Frank expects his point guards to be the point of attack on defense, focusing on pressuring inbounds passes, containing the dribble and directing the ball off the top. Offensively, he's looking for a "battlefield commander" who plays to his strengths, offering Harris' scoring and Alston's ability to direct and orchestrate.

With time, Williams will better discern when to distribute. He's focusing for now on picking up the offense at two positions, a difficult task, but he's able to simplify the distinction.

"The main thing is to run the plays," Williams said. "There’s nothing special that point guards do. We’ve got Devin, who’s a scoring point guard, but other than that, it’s just about running the plays and making the right decisions. "

Big Questions Remain in Rotation
The plan for tonight's game was to get an extended look at Bobby Simmons as a 4, but his back is balky, and Eduardo Najera might be pressed into action. Josh Boone and Sean Williams will also see minutes. Frank indicated the rotation would likely be set by the start of the Wednesday (Oct. 21) game against the Knicks.