NYP blog: [Ws obtain Marcus Williams for protected future ..

The word on Williams that I've seen is that he was a very highly
regarded PG prospect out of college (UConn) in 2006, projected to go
in the top 10 but fell to NJ at #22. Passing (! -- he got huge assist
numbers at UConn, among the best in the nation), ball-handling and
running the team are his strong points, but he's supposedly improved
his shooting to where that's not a big hole in his game. He's a
genuine PG with a big body -- 6'3" 205-215 lbs. His big problem seems
to be turnovers. While at UConn he got accused of stealing laptops,
and before the 2006 draft some people said he wasn't in the best
shape. But several people think he was in the totally wrong place in
NJ, and that he'll do well in Nellie's system. -AL

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July 22, 2008
Marcus Is Gone
By FRED KERBER
http://blogs.nypost.com/sports/nets/archives/2008/07/marcus_is_gone.html


Well, so much for fighting for his job.

Point guard Marcus Williams Marcus Williams , who recently vowed to
fight for his minutes after the Nets New Jersey Nets acquired Keyon
Dooling, is headed to Golden State for a future first round pick. The
trade will be announced later today.

The pick is lottery protected for 2011 – so the Nets get it if the
Warriors are in the playoffs. If it goes to 2012, the pick is
protected 1-to-11. It’s protected 1-to-10 for 2013. If it is not
conveyed by 2013, the Nets s\get second rounders in 2013 and 2015.

Buzz up!

Posted by Fred Kerber on July 22, 2008 11:58 AM

OTOH, there's this from ESPN:


Hollinger Player Profile | Stats Key

SEASON FG% FT% P/40 R/40 A/40 TS% Ast TO Usg
Reb PER
2006-07 .395 .847 16.3 5.0 7.9 47.4 26.9
14.7 24.3 7.3 11.55
2007-08 .379 .787 14.6 4.7 6.5 49.9 26.5
14.2 20.5 6.8 11.06
2007-08 (projected) .394 .862 16.7 4.9 8.8 47.46 28.49 14.45
24.48 7.27 12.30

2006-07 season: Talk about false advertising. Williams came into the
league billed as a pass-first point guard, but instead started firing
away like he was World B. Free. The lefty had the sixth-highest usage
rate among point guards -- for comparison's sake, Jason Kidd was 27th
-- and was second only to Vince Carter on the Nets in that category.
But the shots he was creating weren't for others -- he ranked a modest
35th in assist ratio.

Instead, Williams kept shooting, even though he wasn't particularly
good at it. He made 39.5 percent from the floor, only 28.2 percent on
3-pointers, and had one of the league's lowest shooting percentages in
the immediate basket area (46.5 percent). He was terrible at drawing
fouls, too, ranking 61st out of 67 point guards in free-throw attempts
per field-goal attempt. All told he ranked 59th at his position in
true shooting percentage, making one wonder why he called his number
so often.

And while Williams didn't create many shots for teammates, he did for
opponents -- only two point guards had a worse turnover ratio. All
told, it was a bizarre turn for a rookie who was supposed to be
following in Jason Kidd's unselfish footsteps.

Scouting report: A left-hander with a nice touch, Williams looks like
he'll be a decent shooter when he gets the open jumper and should
eventually add 3-point range. But on the drive, he forces up more slop
than a sump pump. His lefty forays to the rim invariably led to him
challenging bigger players near the basket, something that's not so
effective for Williams since he's a marginal athlete.

As a point guard, Williams seems to have a good feel for the game and
handles the ball well, but seemed to quit on plays if there wasn't
anything in it for him. The same mentality led him to eschew the
mundane pass for the spectacular, often with disastrous consequences.
He also had a nasty habit of dribbling into traps.

Defensively, Williams was beaten easily off the dribble by opposing
guards and needs to improve his lateral movement and fitness. His size
is helpful, and one can imagine him becoming a decent defender if he
puts in the effort.

2007-08 outlook: Williams again will be Jason Kidd's understudy; let's
hope this year some of Kidd's unselfishness rubs off on him. Rookie
point guards with high turnover ratios often show rapid improvement in
their second and third seasons; the Nets will have to hope Williams
learns from his rookie mistakes and makes more of an effort to be the
distributor New Jersey thought it was getting in the draft last year.

Most similar at age: Jay Williams