[外電] Hawks expect Williams to be leader
Hawks expect Williams to be leader
By SEKOU SMITH
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 06/30/06
Shelden Williams had to clear his throat just once during the
introductory gathering for both him and Solomon Jones on Thursday
afternoon on the Hawks' practice court at Philips Arena.
Coach Mike Woodson hopes it is the last time the rookie forward
will have to do that, on the practice floor or anywhere else for
a young team in need of not only talent but vocal leadership.
"I don't want him to hesitate to speak up and make his presence
felt," Woodson said of the player the Hawks selected with the
fifth pick in Wednesday's NBA draft. "One of the things [Duke
coach] Mike [Krzyzewski] told me is that this guy is a leader,
a guy that isn't afraid to step up and be a presence, physically
and vocally. And that's what we need. We need him to be an anchor
for us when he's out there. And I don't mean in January or
February. It has to start right away."
It was conversations with Krzyzewski before the draft that
solidified the Hawks' belief that they were making the perfect
pick.
Hawks assistant coach Bob Bender played at Duke and spent six
seasons (1983-89) coaching on Krzyzewski's staff, so it was an
easy reference call to make.
"As the day progressed," Bender said, "there was more and more
talk about somebody taking him in front of us, so I called Mike
to see if he had any conversations with other teams and just to
see where things stood. But I also wanted to go over some things
that [Woodson] was interested in as well. And two things Mike
said stuck out to me."
Krzyzewski explained that Williams played with arguably the most
recognizable player in college basketball the past four years,
guard J.J. Redick, and never complained or demanded an opportunity
to shine. He also mentioned that Williams was not only the Blue
Devils' heart and soul but the ultimate communicator, a player
who didn't hesitate to direct traffic on the floor and make sure
his teammates were in the right positions on every possession.
"Mike even took it a step further," Bender said. "He said that on
those nights when Joe [Johnson] or Josh [Smith] have great games,
Shelden is going to do his job and going to do it exactly the way
you want it done. Because that's who Shelden is and that's how
it's always been and that's just the way it is with him."
Williams joins a team that had an average age of just 23.4 years
at the end of last season. He will join a frontline rotation
that, minus free agent forward Al Harrington, includes Zaza
Pachulia (21), Josh Smith (21) and Marvin Williams (19). So
he'll have to be prepared to play beyond his NBA years as well
as his size, 6 feet 9 and 258 pounds.
"I'm going to be the same type of player I've always been," said
the Hawks' newest Williams, who'll turn 23 during training camp
in
October. "But whatever role coach asks me to fill is the role I'm
going to play. My defensive instincts have always been there; I
was taught to play the game the right way at a young age. And
when I got to Duke it was just a continuation of that. And I'll
do the same thing here."
Woodson knows that because of his pedigree there are things he
won't have to tell Williams that he's had to tell other rookies
he's dealt with during his coaching career.
"This is a seasoned guy," Woodson said, "a guy that should be
ready to step in right off the bat and be ready to play. I know
this because I know [Krzyzewski] and I value the things he says
to the utmost. When he says you have a solid kid on and off the
floor, I know he means that."
資料來源
http://www.ajc.com/sports/content/sports/hawks/stories/0630hawks.html
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