NYT: Duke's Jay Williams, 10 years later

[Double Down]

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/10/sports/basketball/a-leg-rebuilt-a-life-renewed-for-jay-williams.html?_r=0

Really enjoyed this. Long, but it doesn't read that way. Thought about posting it on the journalism board, because I think Bishop did a really nice job getting a lot of great detail from Williams, like the fact that doctors told him his nerves were so shredded from the accident, he might never be able to get an erection again.

But, thought there might also be equal interest in just debating what kind of player he might have been. I think he would have been really good. He was struggling a bit as a rookie, but also started to figure shot out by the end of that season.

Interesting too that Williams told Bishop guys were smoking weed BEFORE games back on that Bulls team.

 

[YGBFKM]

You couldn't wait until the Grammys were over to post this?

 

[Norrin Radd]

Was a really good read.

I happen to enjoy Jay Williams' college exploits.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EAj6RsoK7KU

 

[Uncle.Ruckus]

http://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/CHI/2003.html

If I had to guess ...

Eddy Curry
Eddie Robinson
Jamal Crawford
Marcus Fizer

Probably not the appropriately named Corey Blount, though.

 

[dreunc1542]

I remember Williams as the best college PG of my lifetime. Even when he wasn't playing great, it always felt like he was one play away from going off and tearing the opposing team's heart out.

 

[waterytart]

Watching Grant go off for ND last night at the end of regulation, I was thinking of Williams against Maryland.

 

[Songbird]

I remember Williams as the best college PG of my lifetime. Even when he wasn't playing great, it always felt like he was one play away from going off and tearing the opposing team's heart out.

USC would have beaten them in the '01 Elite 8 if it wasn't for Williams. That was a great game. That was USC's best team in my lifetime, really on par with Duke, and should've won. Williams a ******* killer that day.

 

[93Devil]

I remember Williams as the best college PG of my lifetime. Even when he wasn't playing great, it always felt like he was one play away from going off and tearing the opposing team's heart out.

Magic and Thomas would be mine, but I never thought of Williams that way. Not saying you are wrong, but I guess Kidd, Penny, Wall and Rose could be in the conservation with Williams.

 

[Versatile]

I remember Williams as the best college PG of my lifetime. Even when he wasn't playing great, it always felt like he was one play away from going off and tearing the opposing team's heart out.

USC would have beaten them in the '01 Elite 8 if it wasn't for Williams. That was a great game. That was USC's best team in my lifetime, really on par with Duke, and should've won. Williams a ******* killer that day.

No. Just, no.

And Jay Williams' college résumé runs circles around any other point guard since Isiah Thomas.

 

[Songbird]

Yes. Just yes.

That season USC was very good, and on par with Duke, which was lucky to get to the Final 4 -- and that was because Williams had such a great game (Duhon, too).

 

[Stoney]

http://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/CHI/2003.html

If I had to guess ...

Eddy Curry
Eddie Robinson
Jamal Crawford
Marcus Fizer

Probably not the appropriately named Corey Blount, though.

Actually, Blount would've been my very first guess:

http://blogs.suntimes.com/sportsprose/2009/05/corie_blount_former_bull_is_go.html

29... repeat, 29 POUNDS of weed he was caught with.

Williams' claims become quite believable when you see who was on that Bulls roster.

 

[Uncle.Ruckus]

Damn. I didn't even know about that.

Now he really is appropriately named.

I wonder if he was that team's Sam Hurd.

 

[dooley_womack1]

http://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/CHI/2003.html

If I had to guess ...

Eddy Curry
Eddie Robinson
Jamal Crawford
Marcus Fizer

Probably not the appropriately named Corey Blount, though.

Actually, Blount would've been my very first guess:

http://blogs.suntimes.com/sportsprose/2009/05/corie_blount_former_bull_is_go.html

29... repeat, 29 POUNDS of weed he was caught with.

Williams' claims become quite believable when you see who was on that Bulls roster.

Sez "Stoney" :D

 

[Versatile]

Yes. Just yes.

That season USC was very good, and on par with Duke, which was lucky to get to the Final 4 -- and that was because Williams had such a great game (Duhon, too).

Duke was the No. 1 overall seed, won the national championship, went 35-4, had three top-10 draft picks, won both ACC titles and was one of the five or so best teams of the past 20 years.

Southern Cal was a No. 6 seed with a 24-10 record and nothing resembling any kind of championship. I liked that team a lot, especially Sam Clancy and Jeff Trepagnier. And yes, they gave Duke a tough game. But how ****ing blinded are you by your fanboiness?

 

[dreunc1542]

I remember Williams as the best college PG of my lifetime. Even when he wasn't playing great, it always felt like he was one play away from going off and tearing the opposing team's heart out.

Magic and Thomas would be mine, but I never thought of Williams that way. Not saying you are wrong, but I guess Kidd, Penny, Wall and Rose could be in the conservation with Williams.

Williams has the numbers, team resume, and amazing individual moments that put him well above those guys.

 

[Norrin Radd]

Yes. Just yes.

That season USC was very good, and on par with Duke, which was lucky to get to the Final 4 -- and that was because Williams had such a great game (Duhon, too).

Duke was the No. 1 overall seed, won the national championship, went 35-4, had three top-10 draft picks, won both ACC titles and was one of the five or so best teams of the past 20 years.

Southern Cal was a No. 6 seed with a 24-10 record and nothing resembling any kind of championship. I liked that team a lot, especially Sam Clancy and Jeff Trepagnier. And yes, they gave Duke a tough game.

Brandon Granville and Brian Scalabrine weep.

I liked that USC team a lot too, they had a great, scrappy run in the tourney (and I think I had them in the Elite Eight in my bracket; it's noteworthy when USC shows up in the tourney), but they weren't that Duke group. That Duke group was excellent, and unlike the 1999 team, it closed the deal.

I remember Williams as the best college PG of my lifetime. Even when he wasn't playing great, it always felt like he was one play away from going off and tearing the opposing team's heart out.

Magic and Thomas would be mine, but I never thought of Williams that way. Not saying you are wrong, but I guess Kidd, Penny, Wall and Rose could be in the conservation with Williams.

Williams has the numbers, team resume, and amazing individual moments that put him well above those guys.

It's got to be the numbers, because both Magic and Isiah match the team resume and individual moments. Each won as many conference titles as they could before leaving, each reached at least the Sweet 16 both years (Magic going to the Elite Eight) and each won a national title.

 

[waterytart]

I remember Williams as the best college PG of my lifetime. Even when he wasn't playing great, it always felt like he was one play away from going off and tearing the opposing team's heart out.

I'll return the favor: Phil Ford.

 

[Songbird]

Yes. Just yes.

That season USC was very good, and on par with Duke, which was lucky to get to the Final 4 -- and that was because Williams had such a great game (Duhon, too).

Duke was the No. 1 overall seed, won the national championship, went 35-4, had three top-10 draft picks, won both ACC titles and was one of the five or so best teams of the past 20 years.

Southern Cal was a No. 6 seed with a 24-10 record and nothing resembling any kind of championship. I liked that team a lot, especially Sam Clancy and Jeff Trepagnier. And yes, they gave Duke a tough game. But how ****ing blinded are you by your fanboiness?

It has nothing to do with fanboiness, dickhead. They emerged from a strong Pac-10 season that produced a No. 1 seed (Stanford). They beat No. 3 BC. They beat No. 2 Kentucky, so this wasn't so ****-ant 6-seed catching a little luck. Then they more than hung with No. 1 Duke before looking their age and missing shots when Duke went cold, then wearing down in the final 6-7 minutes.

It's the one time I had watched USC play the best and thought "They should have beaten the best" because it's about as equal-in-talent to the best that USC had ever been.

Re: Norrin: Scalabrine had a nice, nice game that day.

 

[dreunc1542]

Norrin, I wasn't putting him ahead of Thomas and Magic. I should have clarified, I was putting him ahead of the guys 93 mentioned who have played since Isaiah.

 

[Norrin Radd]

Norrin, I wasn't putting him ahead of Thomas and Magic. I should have clarified, I was putting him ahead of the guys 93 mentioned who have played since Isaiah.

Apologies.

We are in agreement. You gave that group more credence than I did. I laughed out loud at his list, and figured reasonable people would also ignore it.

Yes. Just yes.

That season USC was very good, and on par with Duke, which was lucky to get to the Final 4 -- and that was because Williams had such a great game (Duhon, too).

Duke was the No. 1 overall seed, won the national championship, went 35-4, had three top-10 draft picks, won both ACC titles and was one of the five or so best teams of the past 20 years.

Southern Cal was a No. 6 seed with a 24-10 record and nothing resembling any kind of championship. I liked that team a lot, especially Sam Clancy and Jeff Trepagnier. And yes, they gave Duke a tough game. But how ****ing blinded are you by your fanboiness?

It has nothing to do with fanboiness, dickhead. They emerged from a strong Pac-10 season that produced a No. 1 seed (Stanford). They beat No. 3 BC. They beat No. 2 Kentucky, so this wasn't so ****-ant 6-seed catching a little luck. Then they more than hung with No. 1 Duke before looking their age and missing shots when Duke went cold, then wearing down in the final 6-7 minutes.

It's the one time I had watched USC play the best and thought "They should have beaten the best" because it's about as equal-in-talent to the best that USC had ever been.

Re: Norrin: Scalabrine had a nice, nice game that day.

It was a great run by a team that had solid talent, but wasn't quite Duke-talented.