NYT: Duke's Jay Williams, 10 years later

yeah, but is he the best Jason Williams to ever play in the NBA?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SgoijMXFOmA

 

College resume-wise, it's an accurate statement at least compared to Kidd and Payton. Kidd reached a Sweet 16 and Payton had a co-Pac-10 title. They're not in the conversation with Jay Williams.

 

And Williams won both the Wooden and Naismith POY Awards. Neither Kidd nor Payton won either.

Some folks here are confusing the criteria. Versatile didn't say Williams was the best point guard since Isiah, instead he said best "college resume." And, on those grounds, Williams plainly trumps guys like Payton and Kidd. Being named the national player of the year AND leading your team to a national championship is tough combo to argue against.

 

I'd put Kenny Anderson's two years up against it.

Freshman: 20.6/8.1
Sophomore: 25.9/5.6

I dunno how awards easily fit into it; Jay Williams wouldn't have beaten Larry Johnson (who beat out Shaq) for the Naismith/Wooden any more than Anderson didn't.

But I'll tell ya, that's about it. Williams was great. I just thought Anderson was right at that level a hair earlier. Didn't stick around for a junior year.

 

One Final Four, did the Yellow Jackets win the ACC while he was there?

Thought the word "resume" separated this from stats. Of course there have been individuals with comparable stats.

 

LOL Dane Fife.

 

LOL more at the complete amateurism of the IU broadcasters. Don Fischer has been an IU guy for decades, and he's gonna get excited. he has had to broadcast some dismal football in his time, so he earned the right.

But color commentator Todd Leary (the same one who has had a legal issue of two) is a complete embarrassment on that broadcast.

 

OK then, Mateen Cleaves. driving force behind a team that won three Big Ten regular season titles, two Big Ten tournament titles, went to two Final Fours and won the 2000 national title

 

Mateen Cleaves didn't have the stats, though. He averaged 12.5 points a game. And he never was player of the year. Williams boasts the perfect combination of statistics, success and accolades.

This isn't some half-fried thought. Williams is the correct answer for best college point guard of the past 30 years.

 

Just noting that the original post does not say anything about resume. Magic beat Bird. Maybe that needs to be on the resume as well.

 

points isn't the only measure of a player. Cleaves had more assists than Williams

 

Do you believe in what you are arguing? Do you really think Cleaves was a greater college basketball player than Williams? He averaged 0.6 more assists a game, sure. But he averaged 6.8 fewer points, 1.6 fewer rebounds and 0.6 fewer steals a game. Williams shot 45.3 percent from the field and 39.3 percent on three-pointers to Cleaves' 40.6 percent and 31.3 percent.

The only worthwhile advantage in Cleaves' favor is a second trip to the Final Four.