Some thoughts on Marcus Williams, since the comments on the last post reminded me that the big argument still being used against the Balkman pick is that the Knicks should have picked Williams at 20 and Balkman later (since he would have been around, by all assumptions).
    First off, we don't like that assumption that Balkman would have been around; the same assumption would have had Williams going way before #20, right?  He was suppose to be a lottery pick, but he fell supposedly because of character issues (the stolen laptop episode  at UConn) and most likely because of weight and condition issues.  He was at 14% body fat, looking stocky, at the draft scouting combines.  Here, from the predraft Boston Globe article on Williams:

"The Marcus Williams who worked out yesterday for the Celtics was different than the one who showed up at the team training facility at the beginning of June. At his most recent appearance, the 6-foot-3-inch Williams was 10 pounds lighter, though still five pounds from his "ideal" 205. Williams said the weight came off because of  "me doing what I had to do, working out a lot more." After recording the highest body fat percentage among guards tested during predraft physicals in Orlando three weeks ago, the weight loss answered some, but far from all, of the questions concerning his work ethic."

More from the Globe:

"The team's interest in Williams reportedly has cooled, owing to concerns about work ethic more than anything else."   

    SI on Williams' slide:

"In the end, it wasn't about the stolen laptops that forced him to miss the first half of 2005-06. It was about his weight. It was about his speed. And it was about draft-day circumstances. I called one NBA war room that picked elsewhere during Williams' plunge and was given this explanation: "He was the best college point guard. But we didn't think his game translated as well to the pros; it's a half-court style and the league is moving toward full-court play. Plus, he showed up in Orlando with weight and fitness issues, and I think that turned some people off."

  Williams also had the 2nd worst vertical leap (28 inches) tested during the camp.  Jordan Farmer had the best (42).  Williams had an awful no-step vertical leap of 24.5; he benched pressed 185 only 4 times (the worst at the combine) - to give you comparisons to other pgs at the combine: Roy (6), Collins (9), Foye (14), Farmer (11!).  And his three quarter sprint speed was 3.4, awful for a guard - Adam Morrison scored a 3.37!  He was slower than Morrison!  Seriously, compare to Farmer (3.17), Roy (3.27), or Foye (3.23).  He ranked 73rd in the combine based on results. 

   "Marcus Williams tested dead last among all guards in the draft. Guys like Gerry McNamara , Carl Krauser and even Mardy Collins tested better. When several GMs called him a below-average NBA athlete, they weren’t kidding."

    Get the picture dunny?  That's why he slipped as far as he did, that's why the Celtics decided to take a chance with a guy with absolutely no J (Rondo) than take Wiliams at #21.  After the draft we called Williams "Khalid El-Amin" over at FreeDarko.

    Williams has looked good for the Nets so far.  We admit when we are wrong here at SML, and in this case he has proven to be no El-Amin.  We don't know if we are ready to admit that the Knicks made a mistake in picking Balkman over Williams, though - you pick the better player at the spot, regardless of whether you think he'll be around in another 9 picks or not.  And Balkman is also a better fit for the Knicks than Williams.  They needed that first, more than another point who wasn't going to get enough playing time behind Marbury, Francis, Crawford, and Robinson anyway.  In fact, if not for Crawford's ankle and Francis's "injuries", Collins would still be on the bench during most games.  And we don't know how long Williams will stay in shape; as he gets older, his work ethic issues could become a bigger factor - let's see what shape he is in next season and the following one.

      By the way, Eddy Curry gets a lot of sh*t for being out of shape and fat, but isn't it 10 times worse to be a point guard out of shape?!?  I mean, a center doesn't have to lead a fast break, or get out to the top of the key and play defense on his man.  We've often argued that Curry's fatness does not hinder his game much, and we stand be that.  Yes, he would be better if he was in shape, but what Curry really needs to do is take up space down below in the paint on defense, and just stand there planted with his hands up when someone comes down the lane.  If he did that he would have more of an impact on defense than he does know.     

    Another issue, in some ways, is this:  We all know Shaq's numbers on defense, his blocks, have gone done significantly over the past 5 seasons or so.  We attribute it to age and injuries, but SML wonders how much of it can be attributed to the changing game, too?  Too often Curry has to go out and play defense away from the paint, because nowadays very few teams use true centers, relying instead on smaller perimeter centers (true forwards, indeed) like Webber, Dirk, Bargnini.  It makes it even harder for the old skool large centers, at least on defense.  Just a thought.

    For the record, Curry is not as lazy on defense as he sounds. If you want to see what truly lazy defense looks like see Jerome James.  The next time you see James plays a 6 minute stretch of game with record 2-3 fouls will be first.  Nothing says lazy and out-of-shape like fouls (according to Walt Frazier).  Seriously, if you have ever played basketball in your life, whether a real game or on the streets, you know the first thing to go is your defense.  And when you get tired, and your defense goes, you start hacking out of necessity.  That's James ten seconds into a game.

    One move we think the Knicks have to make: Channing Frye has to go.  It's a shame, because he is a good solid player, and because he won't be as valuable as he was a year ago (but we still think he'll have strong value).  Nevertheless, the Knicks need a PF to play alongside Curry who can nail a 10-15 footer, provide good solid weak-side defense (someone who can block a shot), and can post a bit.  Frye seems unable to do the latter two of those, and stop doing the former in favor of 15-20 footers (when he's inclined to shoot).  The good news, Knicks fans, is that they have a power forward who can do that.  It's not David Lee.

    Randolph Morris should take Frye's place next season.  Given the summer to workout with the Knicks staff and facilities, he should be ready to get some burn in the NBA by the start of next season.   He looked really green from what we saw (he blatantly had no idea what to do with the ball when he got it, but that might have been nerves as much as anything else).  The Randolph Morris signing isn't going to be the equivalent of landing the top pick in a draft, but it might go down as another great find by Isiah.  Morris fills a need, and has the skills to do well.  We equate it this way - we know it's a top draft class this year, but when all is said and done we think Morris will end up ranked about 10-12th among all the players taken from this class.  Which is where the Knicks' current draft pick (the one they are trading to the Bulls to complete the Curry trade) is at.  How convenient, huh?

    One last Knicks note: I read somewhere that Marbury is 0 for 3 on quarter-ending isolation plays since Crawford went down.  When Crawford was healthy, he always got the last shot of the quarter, and we often complained about it, because he would just dribble the clock away, then chuck up a long three at the buzzer.  Well, remind us not to complain as much next year if this stat about Marbury is true. 

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