Sunday, February 10, 2008
Sports

Odd man out

Former lottery pick Shelden Williams stuck on the bench

By Hunt Archbold

Quick now, which current Atlanta Hawk finished his collegiate career less than two years ago as only the third player in NCAA history to record 1,500 points, 1,000 rebounds, 350 blocks and 150 steals? It’s Shelden Williams, the same player who, less than a year ago, finished as Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month for April and led all first-year players in rebounds and double-doubles last season.

So now today, after a productive offseason in which he was named to the Rocky Mountain Revue All-Tournament team by excelling on both ends of the court, where is Shelden Williams now? To the chagrin of Hawks fans and the bewilderment of the player himself, Williams is stuck at the end of Atlanta coach Mike Woodson’s bench. For the first time in his basketball career, Williams is not playing, and it’s not sitting well with anyone who wants this team to do well. This, of course, was not the plan when General Manager Billy Knight selected Williams fifth overall in the 2006 NBA draft, a selection that is now being scorned by fans and NBA media alike.

After an Atlanta comeback victory over visiting Philadelphia last week, the home team locker room was abuzz with music thumping and players laughing. Point guard Tyronn Lue, part of a three-headed tandem attempting to elevate a position that has needed but not received much consistent play for several seasons now, was detailing his solid game to reporters, while nearby Al Horford was explaining his late-game heroics to other press members. In between these two groups, with his back to the gatherings and facing his locker, was Williams, methodically buttoning his shirt, readying himself for the journey home after another game that featured “DNP—Coach’s Decision” behind his name on the stat sheet.

“It’s definitely been an adjustment,” Williams tells The Sunday Paper. “I’m used to playing basketball. This is not something I’ve ever had to come across. Some guys might blow up and be a detriment to themselves or the team. I don’t want to go down that path. I’m handling it the right way. I just have to keep being me.”

A LOST SECOND SEASON

Through the team’s first 45 games, 12 of which he did not play in, Williams was averaging a mere 2.7 points and 2 rebounds per game in less than 12 minutes of action per contest. This from a 6-foot-9, 250-pound athlete who was a beast of player in high school and then for four years at national powerhouse Duke. Last season, he played in a team-high 81 games for the Hawks, averaging 7.9 points and 7.5 rebounds in the 31 games he started. His first-year play inspired the club last July to exercise his contract option for the 2008-09 season.

“Being a top-five pick, there are certain expectations from the team and certain individuals about the contributions you should make to the team,” starting point guard Anthony Johnson explains to SP. “Right now, Shelden is not getting the playing time he would like. I know he’s down, but the sooner he can pick himself up and cheer on the other guys, the sooner good things are going to happen for him. All he can do is stay focused and keep himself ready, because in an 82-game schedule, anything can happen.”

Anything can happen—such as injuries, and more specifically with Williams, his possible involvement as the Feb. 22 NBA trade deadline approaches. While he says he’s heard nothing, it wouldn’t be surprising if Williams was dealt. Which begs the question: What did happen with Williams this year? Is he too soft inside? Are his hands and feet, or a combination of both, not quick enough?

Maybe it’s just a matter of too many players vying for playing time at the same position? Williams scored six points and pulled down nine boards while logging a season-high 30 minutes in the season-opening win over Dallas. But much of the first month of the season found him playing under 10 minutes per game, and his playing time has dropped significantly since early last month.

Certainly, there’s an excess of forwards on the Hawks roster. And with the emergence of the rookie Horford, Williams is all but forgotten in the Hawks’ rotation. In a 14-game stretch that concluded with last week’s win over the Lakers, Williams logged a mere 16 minutes of total playing time. Woodson muddles through coach-speak when discussing Williams, indicating the former lottery pick needs to keep working to improve. But what has the coaching staff told Williams?

“That’s a good question, because nothing’s been told to me,” Williams says with a shrug of the shoulders. “I obviously thought I’d be playing more than I am now. I know I can play in this league; it’s just a matter of getting the opportunity and seizing the opportunity. I’m getting myself ready for when that chance comes.’’

IN SEARCH OF A POINT GUARD

While the Hawks have personnel issues at the overloaded forward position, this franchise has struggled mightily to find a true game-changer at the point guard spot, as well. Johnson, Lue and rookie Acie Law IV are handling much of the point guard duties now. In retrospect, the club’s plans for the position have been hampered in several ways, including monetarily, as a result of injuries suffered by Craig Claxton, better known as Speedy. Yet he has hardly lived up to that nickname ever since he signed a four-year deal worth approximately $25 million in July 2006, as knee injuries have limited him to just 42 games since and he is out for the rest of this season.

A year and a half later, most followers and fans of the NBA conclude that Knight shot an air ball with his drafting of Williams, and instead should have selected the higher-rated Brandon Roy from the University of Washington. In only his second season with the Portland Trail Blazers, the stellar guard will be playing in this week’s All-Star Game in New Orleans and it appears he’ll be a standout NBA player for many years to come. And with regards to the void at the point, Knight has also been criticized for his 2005 draft day decision to bypass budding superstar point guards Chris Paul (New Orleans) and Deron Williams (Utah) in favor of power forward Marvin Williams.

“A lot of people have been getting on this organization because of the point guards they have passed on in the past,’’ says Johnson. “That’s out of my control. All I can do is lace them up and when the ball goes up, go out and play.”

These days, Williams wishes he had such a chance, too. SP