Yardbarker: Marvin Williams

The Hawks Would Be Foolish To Let Childress And Smith Go

Wed, 23 Jul 2008 03:52:15 -0500

They could be very good in a couple of years.

May & Williams working hard, in the classrooms

Sun, 20 Jul 2008 08:15:55 -0500

After all the bad blood I have made from the Brandon Jennings debacle, here comes a story from ex Tar Heels that proves my point about getting an education. Sean May and Marvin Williams, both players from North Carolina's last championship team, are working towards their degrees at UNC.

What are these guys worth? (Part 2)

Mon, 07 Jul 2008 12:43:29 -0500

In Part 1, we looked at the members of the draft class of 2004. Those players are restricted free agents this summer because last summer they failed to agree on an extension with their team. In Part 2, we'll look at members of the draft class of 2005, who have the option to sign long-term deals with their current teams. Typically, this means that they are looking at less money than they could sign for as a restricted or unrestricted free agent, but they have the peace of mind of all that guaranteed money (in case of injury) and knowing where they'll be playing for the next five or six years. Two players from the draft class of '05 – Chris Paul and Deron Williams – are widely considered to be no-brainer max extension players. In fact, Paul has already extended for four years and $68 M, and Williams' camp is currently negotiating with the Jazz. It would be a coup if Utah could convince their young point guard to take a bit less money to allow for the team to have salary cap flexibility in the future. So let's take a look at the other big-name players from the class of '05 and try to gauge their total value. Remember, this includes performance (John Hollinger's PER), age, potential, and the salaries of comparable players. (Read the rest after the jump.)

Ranking the Top 30 Small Forwards by Total Value

Mon, 26 May 2008 13:00:17 -0500

This is the third of five installments of my position-by-position rankings, where I consider the four major factors that affect a player's total value: talent (statistical performance), contract, age and potential. To see a more detailed explanation of my approach, give my point guard rankings a gander. I have also completed the first edition of my shooting guard rankings. To summarize a player's stats, I'll use the NBA Efficiency statistic, which is defined as: EFF = ((Points + Rebounds + Assists + Steals + Blocks) - ((Field Goals Att. - Field Goals Made) + (Free Throws Att. - Free Throws Made) + Turnovers)) Essentially, the order of this list depends on the answer to the question – would you trade Player X for Player Y, assuming the goal is to win a title in the next three seasons, while also building a strong franchise for years to come? On with the rankings... 1. LeBron James, Cavaliers Age: 23 EPG: 30.6 Contract: three years, $47.3 M ($15.8 M per) What's there to say about LeBron that hasn't already been said? He's only 23 and is, at worst, the second-best wing in the NBA. He has some things to work on (i.e. post game, consistent shooting), but the sky is the limit. 2. Kevin Durant, Sonics Age: 19 EPG: 15.2 Contract: four years, $23.3 M ($5.9 M per) ROY probably should have gone to Al Horford, but Durant won it and his game is dripping with potential. I don't think the Sonics would trade Durant away for anyone on this list but LeBron. 3. Rudy Gay, Grizzlies Age: 21 EPG: 18.5 Contract: three years, $10.3 M ($3.4 M per) Gay broke out in a big way, averaging 20/6 in his sophomore season. He's young and talented, and will be the cornerstone to Memphis' rebuilding effort. (See the rest of the list after the jump.)

NBA Impact: UNC Tar Heels

Fri, 09 May 2008 12:57:08 -0500

This article from hoopsworld.com takes a look at how the NBA has been impacted by UNC. It talks about Jordan, Worthy, Sheed, Jamison, Felton ..... the past, present & future greats out of Carolina. Worth a read, even if you are a Duke fan.

33 Observations from the Celtics/Hawks Series

Mon, 05 May 2008 17:00:32 -0500

These are just 33 things that I saw or noticed throughout the series. Congratulations to the Celtics for advancing, and congratulations to the Hawks for getting back on the NBA map.

Top 30 NBA Small Forwards

Mon, 05 May 2008 12:23:52 -0500

When it comes to small forwards, LeBron James is king, with Carmelo Anthony right behind him. He confirmed that he's 6'9 and 260 pounds, yet he's fast and athletic. He had an MVP caliber regular season with 30 PPG, 7.9 RPG, 7.2 APG 1.8 SPG and 1.1 BPG. Unguardable 1-on-1, LeBron is only 23 years old, and is a force to be reckoned with in the NBA. Player (Current Team/Former Team) PPG, RPG, APG, SPG, BPG * = Best in Category (R) = Rookie Steals 1+ Shown Blocks and Steals Shown if both are 1+ 1. LeBron James (CLE) 30*, 7.9*, 7.2*, 1.8, 1.1 2. Carmelo Anthony (DEN) 25.7, 7.4, 3.4, 1.3 SPG 3. Caron Butler (WAS) 20.3, 6.7, 4.9, 2.2 SPG 4. Shawn Marion (MIA/PHX) 15.4, 10.2, 2.2, 2, 1.5 BPG* 5. Andre Iguodala (PHI) 19.9, 4.8, 5, 2.2 SPG 6. Ron Artest (SAC) 20.5, 5.8, 3.5, 2.3 SPG* 7. Paul Pierce (BOS) 19.6, 5.1, 4.5, 1.3 SPG 8. Gerald Wallace (CHA) 19.4, 6, 3.5, 2.1 SPG 9. Corey Maggette (LAC) 22.1, 5.6, 2.7, 1 SPG 10. Rudy Gay (MEM) 20.1, 6.2, 2, 1.4, 1 11. Richard Jefferson (NJN) 22.6, 4.2, 3.1 12. Hedo Turkoglu (ORL) 19.5, 5.7, 5 13. Stephen Jackson (GSW) 20.1, 4.4, 4.3, 1.3 SPG 14. Josh Howard (DAL) 19.9, 7, 2.2 15. Mike Dunleavy (IND) 19.1, 5.2, 3.5, 1 SPG 16. Luol Deng (CHI) 17, 6.3, 2.5 17. Andrei Kirilenko (UTA) 11, 4.7, 4, 1.2, 1.5 18. Peja Stojakovic (NOH) 16.4, 4.3, 1.2 19. Ricky Davis 14, 4.3, 3.4, 1.1 20. Tayshaun Prince (DET) 13.2, 4.9, 3.3 21. Marvin Williams (ATL) 14.8, 5.7, 1.7, 1 SPG 22. John Salmons (SAC) 12.5, 4.3, 2.6, 1.1 SPG 23. Shane Battier (HOU) 9.3, 5.1, 1.9, 1, 1.1 24. Grant Hill (PHX) 13.1, 5.3, 2.9 25. Francisco Garcia (SAC) 12.3, 3.3, 1.6, 1.2 SPG 26. Travis Outlaw (POR) 13.3, 4.6, 1.3 27. Andres Nocioni (CHI) 13.2, 4.2, 1.2 28. (R) Al Thornton (LAC) 12.7, 4.5, 1.2 29. (R) Jamario Moon (TOR) 8.5, 6.2, 1.2, 1, 1.4 30. Boris Diaw (PHX) 8.8, 4.6, 3.9 31. Linas Kleiza (DEN) 11.1, 4.2, 1.2 Just Missed Out (R) Jeff Green (SEA) 10.5, 4.7, 1.5 Desmond Mason (MIL) 9.7, 4.3, 2.1 Martell Webster (POR) 10.7, 3.9, 1.2

Celtics Win Game 7 in a Blowout

Sun, 04 May 2008 20:40:17 -0500

The Celtics made a statement in this game as they won by 34 points, 99-65. The Hawks were never in this game as the Celtics bolted out to a 27-16 first quarter lead behind the superior play of Kendrick Perkins. He set the tone for the team right from the beginning, crashing the boards, blocking shots and playing lock down defense on anyone entering the paint. He had 8 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 blocks in the first quarter and finished the game with 10 points, 10 rebounds and 5 blocks in just 26 minutes. The Celtics didn't let up any in the second quarter and finished the half with a 44-26 lead. 26 points is the fewest allowed by a team in the playoffs. The refs in this game let the teams play rather than calling a foul on the Celtics every time down the floor. The free throws in this game were much more fairly distributed with the Celtics shooting 19 and the Hawks shooting 16. If the first 6 games were called this way, the Celtics would have won in 5 or 6 games at the most. The Celtics continued where they left off in the second half and ran the lead up to 79-43 at the end of 3. Doc pulled the starters at the end of 3 and the bench held the lead until the end for a 99-65 final score. The fact that no starter played more than 32 minutes is good for Tuesday's game 1 versus Cleveland. The scoring was spread out with 5 players in double figures. Ray Allen was the only starter who didn't hit double figures as struggled from the field shooting 3-12 and finishing with 7 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 steal. Pierce meant business right from the beginning and was the game's high scorer with 22 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals. KG had a double double (18 points, 11 rebounds, 3 assists, and 1 block) and along with Perk, keyed the defense. Rondo had a good game and finished with 10 points, 3 rebounds, 6 assists and 1 steal. He set the tone for the game. After a steal, he was ahead of everyone on a break and was grabbed around the neck and thrown to the ground by Marvin Williams. It looked as though he landed on his tail bone and could have been seriously injured. He stayed on the floor for a long time while the Celtics' nation collectively held it's breath. Williams was assessed a flagrant 2 and ejected. Ray Allen ran over after the foul and instead of picking a fight as some might have, he bent over to check on Rondo and there were no problems between the teams. Rondo got up eventually and calmly hit both free throws. He played well after the foul and so hopefully he is fine. What a tough kid. Leon Powe once again played well and finished with 12 points and 4 rebounds. James Posey is showing why he was such an important factor in Miami's championship and why he will be key in this playoff run with 6 points, 4 rebounds, 3 steals and 2 blocks. PJ Brown played some very good defense and finished with 2 points, 1 rebound and 2 blocks in 13 minutes. Sam played just 7 minutes in this game but also provided some good defense with 2 points and 2 steals. Tony, Big Baby and Eddie House all played in the 4th quarter after the game was already decided. The Celtics were dominant from start to finish. They out scored the Hawks 60 to 30 in the paint. They had 12 fast break points to just 2 for the Hawks. The Celtics shot 48% from the field while holding the Hawks to just 29%. The Celtics did a very good job of taking care of the ball with just 8 turnovers in this game. As for the KG and ZaZa skirmish in game 4, I have to say KG got the last word. With just over 2 minutes to play in the 3rd, KG set a great pick and dropped Pachulia to the ground, allowing Rondo to run past. It was great. KG didn't take the bait this time when Pachulia came after him and just kept his arms across his chest. Doc wisely took KG out of the game at that point giving him that last play to savor as he prepares for the Cavs. Game 1 is Tuesday night at 8:00 PM ET.

Marvin Williams Clotheslines Rajon Rondo

Sun, 04 May 2008 20:32:24 -0500

After a steal in game 7 of the Celtics-Hawks series, Rajon Rondo was ahead of everyone on a break and was grabbed around the neck and thrown to the ground by Marvin Williams. It looked as though he landed on his tail bone and could have been seriously injured. He stayed on the floor for a long time while the Celtics' nation collectively held it's breath. Williams was assessed a flagrant 2 and ejected. Ray Allen ran over after the foul and instead of picking a fight as some might have, he bent over to check on Rondo and there were no problems between the teams. Rondo got up eventually and calmly hit both free throws. He played well after the foul and so hopefully he is fine. What a tough kid.

Another Look At Williams' Flagrant 2 On Rondo

Sun, 04 May 2008 15:53:19 -0500

Difficult to watch, but Rondo took it like a champ.

Boston v. Atlanta second half= Complete Joke

Sun, 04 May 2008 13:55:34 -0500

As the third quarter ended with the Boston Celtics winning 79-43 over the Atlanta Hawks, all I can say is that this is utter nonsense. Atlanta clearly is playing uninspired with exception to Zaza Pachulia who always plays physically. However, since Marvin Williams committed the flagrant foul on Ronda(which by the way did not warrant an ejection), the refs have given up calling a fair game. Each call since has gone in favor of the celtics, which in includes KG lowering his skeletor shoulder into Zazas jaw. To be completely fair to both sides, Zaza kinda deserved it for the shit he has been doing throughout the series. However, The refs absolutely collapsed under the pressure of that retarded and obnoxious Boston crowd. On a sidenote, Puchulia has nothing to lose besides being suspended a couple games next year, so I think he should have popped KG in the face so garnett would have attacked in return and been suspended for the second round series.

Video - Marvin Williams hardcore clotheslines Rajon Rondo

Sun, 04 May 2008 13:32:53 -0500

Is there any question about this foul warranting an ejection?

tiny 3 Dominated by Guys Named Zaza, Al and Marvin

Sat, 03 May 2008 08:43:29 -0500

After last night's loss I sat in front of my computer, searching for something to write about. I couldn't form quality, coherent sentences in my head, let alone type them out on a blog. So, here I am the following morning... and I'm going through the exact same thing. You know what it feels like? It feels like I'm a six year-old who just got a shiny new red bike for Christmas... I'm all excited, can't wait to ride it... but before I get a chance to even get on the bike, my older brother grabs the bike from my hands, brings it outside and begins to repeatedly run the bike over with his car, until there is nothing but bent metal and shards of cheap plastic littering the driveway, and there's nothing I can do but to watch in horror....

What would it take to make the Hawks a title contender?

Tue, 29 Apr 2008 20:28:56 -0500

As I watched the young Atlanta Hawks win two home games against the far more experienced Celtics, I wondered – what would it take to turn Atlanta into a serious contender? My first thought would be to build a time machine and go back to the '05 draft and take Chris Paul instead of Marvin Williams. This team is in desperate need of a playmaking point guard and Paul would be a perfect fit. The Mike Bibby trade gave the team some experience at the position, but his poor shooting after he came to Atlanta (41%) coupled with his horrible accuracy in the playoffs (35%) leads me to believe that his 19-point, seven-assist seasons are long gone. He is a 14/6 guy now (at best) and for that, the Hawks will pay him $15.2 million next season. Yeesh. The time machine theory is fine, but had they drafted Paul they probably wouldn't have Al Horford on the roster and that would be a setback. Let's move on to more real-world possibilities… (Read the rest after the jump.)

Why Hawks Will Ruin Celtics Title Hopes

Sun, 27 Apr 2008 20:33:39 -0500

The lowly eighth-seeded below .500 Atlanta Hawks could be the team that ultimately leads to the demise of the all-powerful Celtics. How is that? How could a 37-45 squad bring down the dominant 66-16 team that beat them in five consecutive contests prior to Game 3 of the first round?