Gary Williams Expects Jordan Williams Back Next Year, Let's Hope He's Right
by Ben Broman on Mar 30, 2011 3:33 PM EDT
in Basketball
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PrintJordan Williams' testing-the-waters declaration was just the tip of the iceberg of the drama that's going to take place over the next few weeks. The will-he-or-won't-he obsession will dominate UMD sports for the next couple of weeks, and with good reason.
Gary Williams, for his part, definitely expects Jordan to return. Or at least that's what he's telling the media, the Washington Times' Patrick Stevens in particular:
"I fully expect Jordan to come back because of the lockout possibility," Gary Williams said. "No one knows anything about the draft right now except the NBA. They're the guys that are going to draft their players. With a lockout as a possibility, it'll be interesting to see how the process of the draft takes place. I know the NFL is going ahead with their draft, but the NBA, all sources I have are saying this could be a hockey-type situation [when the NHL wiped out the 2004-05 season with a lockout]."
Take this with a grain of salt, for a few reasons. First, it sounds like he's banking on there being no draft in addition to no season, but that seems unlikely; most leagues will have drafts despite lockouts. And that might actually work in Jordan's favor, because it could keep some more highly-regarded prospects out of the draft, opening an avenue for himself.
Secondly, and perhaps more importantly, I don't think Jordan really knows for sure what he's doing yet. Given all the chatter we've heard about it, some public and some not, it seems unlikely he'll return, but that option is still there. He was "testing the waters," after all, and if he finds the waters to be agreeable - at this point, I'm guessing that means he gets a draftable grade - he'll go. Gary knows a lot, but he doesn't know what scouts are going to tell him, and that's the big variable.
Then again, this is good news, or at least is a little of it. If nothing else, it's better than Gary saying, "No, he's a goner." So we have that, at least.
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I'm pretty sure...
Gary blocked him right after this photo was taken.
by word2bigbird on Mar 30, 2011 4:31 PM EDT reply actions 4 recs
really?
because all my comments keep getting rec’d. so many to choose from.
by word2bigbird on Mar 30, 2011 4:55 PM EDT up reply actions
scratch that..
THIS is your best ever! Credit to your humble humility.
by 1 proud terp on Mar 30, 2011 5:02 PM EDT up reply actions
i know i know
but i couldnt think of another thing that was that small and white
you would think singlers' thing would be a little bigger
considering how much the refs and vitale have sucked it the last four years.
by 1 proud terp on Mar 30, 2011 7:40 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
I think the silliness of this comment thread
mirrors a more calm and hopeful mood and expectation that Mount Williams will indeed return to take care of unfinished business, which now includes proving some “haters” wrong about his deficiencies.
by 1 proud terp on Mar 30, 2011 8:50 PM EDT up reply actions
It would have been funny if he said
Scheyers or someone like Cherokee Parks
by MurlandTerps on Mar 30, 2011 10:46 PM EDT up reply actions
in an attempt to bring the discussion back from the gutter...(where K and his Rat Brethren dwell)
Ben, you say that the potential lockout works in Jordan’s favors by keeping more highly regarded talent out of the draft. Wouldn’t the same factors keep Williams out? I would think that if there was enough credible fear of a lockout/etc, then all potential “early” entrants would stay in school, no?
I agree
It’s like saying it’s a great time to go swimming now that some kid peed in the pool and no one else is willing to go in.
Maybe, but I don't believe so
Jordan’s situation is different from most’s in the sense that the same opportunities may not be there in a year. For guys like Sullinger, Tristan Thompson, etc., the lotto will still be there next year. They can come back to school and its no big deal – they’ll be millionaires in short order anyway. Jordan…not so much. If a bunch of top-flight talent stays in school for one more year and then goes pro next year when he does, he may not be drafted at all. If that happens but he leaves this year, maybe he gains 10 or so draft spots.
So long as there’s a draft, I would think the situation would be attractive to Jordan. If he could become a first-round pick (or, depending on his standing, get drafted at all) it would look pretty good, considering that would be an opportunity he wouldn’t have otherwise. If he has to wait a year to get his dough, so what? He’s not getting paid at UMD anyway. Sign a one-year deal and ball out in England for a year.
A lockout is a scarier prospect for the guaranteed prospects. A fringe guy like Jordan may see this as a special opportunity. That’s just my opinion, though, and maybe I’m dead wrong.
If he gets drafted though, in the 1st round where contracts are guaranteed
That NBA team will have his rights, correct? So wouldn’t he not be able to play overseas?
I'd be surprised if they didn't allow their players to have income-generating opportunities despite the lockout
I mean, if there’s no CBA, would the players even have to adhere to the contracts? That’s a good point, though, and one that he should probably figure out.
If the NBA lockout is like the NFL
He would be allowed to do whatever he wants. No CBA basically = no contracts, therefore no clauses to prevent you from playing elsewhere (such as Europe). I’m almost positive anybody in the NBA would be able to go play somewhere else.
I see your point
Interesting dilima. Go now, hope you get high enough scores relative to those who actually declared or go back and improve your skills (and in so doing, your scores) and hope you’ve closed the gap.
Love the pee in the pool analogy too.
by jaypee on Mar 31, 2011 12:26 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Heres the problem
If there is no NBA but there is a draft, Jordan should go (theoretically). Like Ben said, the top guys can stay in school for another year, no problem, they’ll still get the big bucks. So next year, the draft would have the top players from this year, and the top from next year, so Jordan would have to compete with more than the normal amount of competition, vs less competition this coming draft
by kryptonianjorel on Mar 31, 2011 1:08 AM EDT up reply actions
JWILL
But what if he comes back and actually develops a 12 ft jumper and improves some other skills, making him better prepared for the NBA and perhaps diplaying a little discipline by not going before he is ready.
There's not a single skill he can get here that he can't get/won't get faster in the NBA
There are no practice limits in the NBA.
There are no practice limits anywhere for free throws and 12 ft jumpers. The only limits are those that are self imposed.
by Senor Huevos on Mar 31, 2011 5:22 PM EDT up reply actions
Assuming his form is sound, yes
If it isn’t, he isn’t going to fix it by doing it some more. His FT stroke is fine, but he looks ridiculously out of place with those little turnaround jumpers. And he also said “other skills” which I assumed was a face-up game, which he certainly isn’t developing on his own.
Agree
on the other skills point. 12 to 15 foot jumpers in the NBA are rarely contested and may as well be FTs. In my opinion (which means nothing) the problem with Jordan’s jumpshot is his lack of ball handling. What I mean is without the ability to drive to basket, he does not create separation which allows defender to stay up on him. This leads to Jordan shooting off balance. He has a nice stroke when he has open shots, but few big men have the ability to consistently knock down shots when off balance. I may be in the minority because I don’t think rebounding will be his strength in the NBA. The NBA is full of footers or guys very close and amazing leapers, neither of which Jordan is. With that said, I could not be more happy for Jordan and the success he has had. I wish him nothing but the best as I do ALL Terps. Ben you are 100% right about where he will learn more I was not disputing your point.
by Senor Huevos on Mar 31, 2011 7:47 PM EDT up reply actions
On the other hand
Staying in school should hopefully improve his draft position by more then five or so spots (the amount of guys who might potentially differ from entering the draft due to the possible lockout). Hopefully he gets this feedback from scouts.
That's a mighty big "if", don't you think?
If he could become a first-round pick (or, depending on his standing, get drafted at all)
Greivis didn’t look to go after his second year, and he was playing at a level that much more closely resembled the demands he’d see as a sixth man at the guard position. Physically, his height and length were even at or above NBA averages.
Jordan, for as much as we love him, posesses neither the game nor the physical attributes of an NBA forward. He’s too slow and unathletic for the three. He’s got no face up game to play the four and would absolutely get destroyed if asked to play the five in the League.
He’s a fringe pick, at this point. Not a fringe 1st/2nd, a fringe pick to get drafted at all. His best bet is to realize that his future in the NBA will depend on how he closes out his college career, and yes, I’m suggesting that he has to stay all four years or else he will be playing in Belgium with my boy who was all-CAA at Drexel.
And right now I can honestly say y'all are getting a paycheck for nothing. - Josh Howard
by TerroristFistJab on Mar 31, 2011 11:48 AM EDT up reply actions
Agreed
He’s a 6’8 1/2 center (and does not have super long arms like Dejuan Blair) with below average athleticism for the NBA…He cannot play PF in the league at this point. He’s a mid to high second round pick at best and I’m confident the feedback he gets will tell him this. The only way I think he leaves is if he’s content playing in Europe or is delusional about his abilities.
Sterling Gibbs
Is having surgery tomorrow in Colorado, according to his twitter. Anyone know what he has to have done and what his timetable is for a return?
Why do we keep getting broken players?
I do wish him all the best, though
by kryptonianjorel on Mar 31, 2011 12:29 AM EDT up reply actions
Its his hip.
He messed it up 2 years ago and never got it taken care of, apparently
by kryptonianjorel on Mar 31, 2011 1:05 AM EDT up reply actions
I really expect him back too
So, Gary’s comments seem right on par.
Back on the Sweed train. Choo Choo!
"It’s easy to lie with statistics, but it’s easier to lie without them." -Fred Mosteller
if he's drafted 2nd round...
doesnt hire an agent, and theres a lockout
can he play at umd next year?
No, if he doesn't pull out by May 8th he can't come back
regardless of whether he has an agent or not
i dont think thats true
i remember a guy at Kentucky under Tubby a few years ago went undrafted, but didn’t hire an agent and was allowed to go back to school. cant remember his name though!
Not anymore.
Prior to the 2010 draft, the rule was that If it was your first time declaring and you didn’t hire an agent, you could return if not drafted. In 2009, the NCAA passed their own rule that placed extra restrictions. The main one is that the withdraw date was pushed up to May 8th instead of 10 days before the draft and that you lose your eligibilty if you don’t pull out.. It also restricts students from missing class to attend workouts/tryouts (Jordan should be ok here as long as he is just doing private workouts/practice, the “official” workouts are scheduled on the weekend).
Off the subject
What time does Montrose Christian play today???
“At this point, I’m guessing that means he gets a draftable grade – he’ll go.”
I disagree. There is no guarantee getting drafted late in the second round means you are getting paid. The simple truth is, he’s not ready and NBA scouts are quite different than “chatter” and buddies. They don’t lie to kids. JW is going to get a dose of reality, straight from the scouts, and the message will be you might get drafted late in the second round. No big payday. Sorry kid.
Now, as many have mentioned, if it should turn out he’s academically ineligible, than all of this is just leading to an ineviatable outcome. But if he is truly testing the waters, there’s no pot of gold and hence, he’ll be back. Otherswise, it’s a train wreck, and that would be sad.
Classic Ben
“Then again, this IS good news, or at least is a little of it.”
Hedging your bets. C’mon tell us what you REALLY think! You take nuance to a new level, but I still enjoy your posts.
by Timothy Winters on Mar 31, 2011 1:57 PM EDT reply actions
Anyone else watching the Montrose game?
JA plays with some serious swag. About 4 minutes into the game, JA scored the first points of the game on a cut to the basket, then scored again a little later after going 2-2 from the free throw line when he got fouled going up for a dunk. Had a ridiculous block on a fast break as well, got up higher then anyone I’d seen on UMD get up last year.
JA
Looks slow. I dont want him anymore.
by worldwidewes on Mar 31, 2011 2:24 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Yeah
He really does look slow. They also totally exclude him from the offense. I don’t understand why he doesn’t get any touches
Just remember
That this is high school basketball, and he is playing alongside kids that do not know how to play the game as well as kids at UMD will.
High school basketball is dominated by guards, especially in a fast paced game like this.
As far as JA being slow, he is 6’7, so his strides are long and he looks a little slower then he really is.
And lastly, he’s just a junior, he still has over a year before we get him at UMD. People say he has a great work ethic and he will continue to improve.
Montrose wins, will play tomorrow at 3:30 on ESPN2
Justin Anderson looked decent, finished with 9 points, 7 rebounds and 3 blocks. Didn’t get a ton of touches on the offensive end, but finished well and went 3-4 from the free throw line. He probably had the play of the game when Montrose was up 2 with about a minute left, John Carroll had the ball on the break and JA had a huge block that led to Montrose scoring, a huge 4 point swing.
Jerrod Jones
He plays for John Carrol. He’s 6’7", a junior (i think), and was matched up against JA in the 1st quarter. He looked pretty good and took JA on a couple of cross overs. I think he finished with 11 pts. Hes slim but athletic.
Only majors looking at him so far at Washington, Oregon State, and Richmond.
Kinda want him along with Shaq, and JA.
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