Post by RManske2 on Feb 12, 2011 17:42:22 GMT -5
Spurs Turn to Rookie Point Guard[/b]
With the San Antonio Spurs closer to the worse record in the league than the playoffs, the team's front office finally traded point guard Mike Bibby. While some around the league believe that the trade does not help the franchise going forward in the long run, one of the reasons for the deal was to open up the starting spot for last year's first round pick, Marcus Williams. After being drafted number eight, the Spurs played the rookie out of the University of Connecticut limited minutes but made the decision it was time to put him in the starting lineup to see what he can bring to the team next year.
Is rookie Marcus Williams the long-term solution for the San Antonio Spurs at the point guard position?
In his first sim as the team's starting point guard, there were definitely some positives and negatives the team noted with regard to Williams' individual play along with the team as a whole. While it is only an eight-game sample, the Spurs were able to go 4-4, or .500, which is an improvement over what the team has done this season. However, it should quickly be pointed out that there are many variables that go into what a team's record is so it is not the greatest gage to use, eventhough a player is judged by the success of his team. Perhaps the real answers will not come until next year when Williams has to lead his squad on a nightly basis over an entire season.
As for the rookie's individual performance over this period, it is fair to say that he turned in some good games and some rather lackluster performances, which can be expected out of rookies seeing the first extended action in the league. Out of Williams' first eight games as a starter, he finished with double-digit scoring in seven of these games with the one game he was unable to do so was on day 105 against the Orlando Magic where he finished with just 6 points. However, it should be noted in that game Wiliams was able to contribute in other ways as he had 6 assists, 5 rebounds, and 3 steals in 34 minutes of action. On the flip side, his best individual offensive game came on day 106 when he put up 20 points in a loss to the Utah Jazz to go with 11 assists. In the eight game stretch, Williams averaged just under 14.4 points per game while shooting 42.7 percent from the field and 29.1 percent from beyond the arc. San Antonio's coaching staff is hoping this coming offseason Williams can continue to improve on his offensive game to become more efficient shooting the ball and spreading the court.
As for the other areas of his game, Williams showed an ability to contribute in a variety of ways. In starting with perhaps the most important stat for a point guard, assists, Williams averaged 6.7 during this stretch of games. Out of the eight games, the former Husky had double-digit assist on two games and was rather consistent by posting 6 assists in four of the eight games. In addition to picking up 6.7 assists per game, Williams also contributed with 3.5 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game. Team officials are hoping that the rookie can finish the season on a strong note and come back in the offseason and continue to improve his game and lead a resurgent Spurs squad next year as the front office continues to look for the necessary pieces to bring a winning team back to the Alamo City and its fans.
With the San Antonio Spurs closer to the worse record in the league than the playoffs, the team's front office finally traded point guard Mike Bibby. While some around the league believe that the trade does not help the franchise going forward in the long run, one of the reasons for the deal was to open up the starting spot for last year's first round pick, Marcus Williams. After being drafted number eight, the Spurs played the rookie out of the University of Connecticut limited minutes but made the decision it was time to put him in the starting lineup to see what he can bring to the team next year.
Is rookie Marcus Williams the long-term solution for the San Antonio Spurs at the point guard position?
In his first sim as the team's starting point guard, there were definitely some positives and negatives the team noted with regard to Williams' individual play along with the team as a whole. While it is only an eight-game sample, the Spurs were able to go 4-4, or .500, which is an improvement over what the team has done this season. However, it should quickly be pointed out that there are many variables that go into what a team's record is so it is not the greatest gage to use, eventhough a player is judged by the success of his team. Perhaps the real answers will not come until next year when Williams has to lead his squad on a nightly basis over an entire season.
As for the rookie's individual performance over this period, it is fair to say that he turned in some good games and some rather lackluster performances, which can be expected out of rookies seeing the first extended action in the league. Out of Williams' first eight games as a starter, he finished with double-digit scoring in seven of these games with the one game he was unable to do so was on day 105 against the Orlando Magic where he finished with just 6 points. However, it should be noted in that game Wiliams was able to contribute in other ways as he had 6 assists, 5 rebounds, and 3 steals in 34 minutes of action. On the flip side, his best individual offensive game came on day 106 when he put up 20 points in a loss to the Utah Jazz to go with 11 assists. In the eight game stretch, Williams averaged just under 14.4 points per game while shooting 42.7 percent from the field and 29.1 percent from beyond the arc. San Antonio's coaching staff is hoping this coming offseason Williams can continue to improve on his offensive game to become more efficient shooting the ball and spreading the court.
As for the other areas of his game, Williams showed an ability to contribute in a variety of ways. In starting with perhaps the most important stat for a point guard, assists, Williams averaged 6.7 during this stretch of games. Out of the eight games, the former Husky had double-digit assist on two games and was rather consistent by posting 6 assists in four of the eight games. In addition to picking up 6.7 assists per game, Williams also contributed with 3.5 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game. Team officials are hoping that the rookie can finish the season on a strong note and come back in the offseason and continue to improve his game and lead a resurgent Spurs squad next year as the front office continues to look for the necessary pieces to bring a winning team back to the Alamo City and its fans.
