The Point is Go?!
Article Courtesy of Chris Perkins for the Palm Beach Post
MIAMI — The summertime reports on oft-injured Heat guard Jason Williams were glowing. And as he zipped around the court with relative ease in Friday night’s intrasquad scrimmage, he again confirmed he was true to his rigorous off-season training program.
“I’m really pleased with him,” coach Pat Riley said. “I think he has been a standout this summer.”
The Heat had serious doubts about Williams’ health and durability after the season. While Riley wants his point guard to play at least 70 games, Williams has missed 23 and 21 games, respectively, in his two years in Miami. And frequently he was so hobbled it was counterproductive for him to practice.
“I’ve got to have somebody I can depend on and rely on,” Riley said. “And he understands this. He and I had this conversation. That’s why we went after (Milwaukee’s) Mo Williams.”
The Heat eventually addressed its concern about Jason Williams’ health by signing Smush Parker, a former Los Angeles Lakers point guard.
Jason Williams addressed the Heat’s concern by spending the summer working out 21/2 hours a day, five days a week. He worked on strengthening problem areas such as his knees, quadriceps and abdomen, all of which have caused him to miss games in the past two years.
So far it has worked. He now runs pain-free and walks without a limp. He has also lost 10 pounds and reduced his body fat percentage.
“He’s back to the Memphis J-Will,” guard Dwyane Wade said.
That would put Jason Williams on track to play 70-plus games, likely score somewhere between 10 and 14 points per game, and eclipse the hallowed 3-to-1 assists to turnovers ratio coveted by NBA point guards.
“I expect to play 82 (games),” said Williams, who added he feels the best he has felt in his career.
The Heat aren’t concerned about Williams’ talent. They’ve seen him run the offense with precision, both feeding the ball inside to center Shaquille O’Neal and keeping the ball moving around the perimeter. They remember him hitting his first 10 shots in Miami’s Eastern Conference title-winning Game 6 against Detroit in 2006. They recall the 14-assist, zero-turnover game last season.
Williams, who averaged 10.9 points per game last season while tying a career-best by shooting .413 from the field, also has proved adept as a three-point shooter, hitting at least 100 in each of his two years with the Heat.
If the Heat keeps him for the entire season and allows his contract to expire, that money is available to spend on a free agent next summer.
On the other hand, a good start by Williams makes him attractive trade bait for a team looking to cut salary for next season. In exchange, perhaps the Heat could land a veteran who could push their title hopes over the top.
“We’re not looking to trade him at all,” Riley said of Williams. “We just want to make sure we have him available. And he has been the one that has impressed me the most with his work ethic.”
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