Since the day he was drafted, everyone assumed Marcus Williams was going to be Jason Kidd’s successor in New Jersey. As a rookie, when he was healthy and playing spot minutes, Williams clearly gave the Nets and their fans a different look - he showed he could change the pace of the game and score in bunches, solidifying his future as a cornerstone for the franchise to build upon.
This season though has not gone well for Marcus. Injuries kept him out of the picture for a large portion of the season and now, playing the role of Marcus Williams 2K7, is Devin Harris, a game-changer for the Nets in his first two games in uniform. He’s the guy everyone assumes is th long-term player at the 1 for New Jersey, including, apparently, his teammates.
Today, in Dave D’Alessandro’s always-strong Newark Star-Ledger column, he quotes Richard Jefferson basically calling out Marcus:
Whether he knows it or not, Marcus Williams has been called out.
Richard Jefferson was talking about the Nets’ new composition after the 93-83 loss to the Spurs last night when he suddenly made a reverse-pivot into a long monologue about how they need to get more out of their second-year point guard.
“We have to make sure that Marcus keeps his confidence and stays aggressive. We need him. We need him,” Jefferson said without solicitation after Williams (eight points, four turnovers) had an unremarkable 18 1/2-minute performance. “We can’t have him do what he did last season and just kind of fade away. We need him to play, and to be productive, and to be aggressive. He needs to play like a second starter. He has to.
“If we’re going to be the type of team we need (to be), it’s going to have to be him coming off, playing with confidence, him hitting big shots. Because he’s one of our best shooters. I think he might be leading our team in 3-point percentage (40.0). He’s got to play like that, regardless of how many minutes he gets. He has to be aggressive.”
Lawrence Frank started Devin in the second half of the Nets’ last game and he’s clearly on his way to starting him full-time in the very near future. RJ talking about Marcus as a bench player is not a good sign for the kid …
March 3rd, 2008 at 12:32 pm
Celts Fan says:
it’s a good tandem either way. i like both guys and don’t think either will ever reach that elite level so why not have 2?
March 3rd, 2008 at 1:07 pm
Smitty313 says:
Devin Harris should start he is better than Marcus Williams right now.
March 3rd, 2008 at 1:08 pm
YallAllReadyKnow says:
Richard Jefferson is in no position to talk.
His career has been built off of Jason Kidd passes.
When he creates two shots for himself or even hits 2 consecutive jump shots….then he can call out teammates. Til then…RJ is the eastcoast boris diaw
March 3rd, 2008 at 1:37 pm
Kobeef says:
I agree with Y’all..
RJ should stop complaining about guys on their rookie contract until he proves he is worth his contract (which is unlikely)
RJ doesn’t do anything any other SF in the league couldn’t do with starting minutes….especially with Kidd and Vince drawing double teams.
March 3rd, 2008 at 2:06 pm
MoxWestCoastRep says:
Rj is now the leader of the team and justified for calling out a young buck for not giving 100%. He doesn’t need vince the tinman Carter spreading no-hearts disease.
Rod thorn wanted very bad to get rid of kidd and vc because he wants players who give a damn and obviously rj does.
March 3rd, 2008 at 2:39 pm
Myrie says:
Wassup troops…
Myrie is back. What’s been going on ’round here?
March 3rd, 2008 at 4:33 pm
GEE... Cold on em! says:
Get at him RJ more players need to call other players to task, in a professional way of course!
March 3rd, 2008 at 4:55 pm
K-Dizzle says:
Myrie
Maybe you been gone a while, playa, so just to bring you up to date, Thr Rockets can’t lose a game, but the Lakers still the best team in the world….oh yeah, and Isiah’s still runnin ish in NYC lol
March 3rd, 2008 at 4:56 pm
myrie says:
BooHoo…
The only time the Nets matter is when Beyonce is sitting courtside.
..someone rush the paperwork and move these boys to Brooklyn already.
March 3rd, 2008 at 10:03 pm
kowtz says:
the best player in a team does not always have the biggest heart…