<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Dumpy)</div><div class='quotemain'>
Deron is a year and a half older than Marcus. 18 months! As a rookie, he played roughly 1,000 more minutes--2300 to 1300--that's over 75% more minutes than Marcus! Yet as a rookie, Deron scored just 10.8 points a game, on 42% shooting, with 4.5 assists per game and 1.8 turnovers per game.</p>
marcus scored 6.8 points per game and averaged 3.3 assists. At the same rate, had he played the same number of minutes as a rookie as Deron did, he would have scored 12.0 points per game and dished out 5.8 assists. He shot slightly lower from the field (39%) but MUCH higher from the line (84%). Yes, Marcus is bad on defense--according toDean Oliver's defensive rating calculation, he comes out at 109, when the league average is 106 (lower is better). But Deron is just as bad--his rating each ofhis first two years was 110 (this stat, by the way, incorporates a number of assumptions, and I'm not convinced that it is entirely valid, but it seems to do a reasonable job separating defenders into discrete categories).</p>
Deron made a huge jump his second year. Marcus could, too. But remember, he is still YOUNGER than Deron was when he was a rookie. Give the kid some slack.</p>
Some of you hate Marcus and think he won't amount to anything. We get it. I prefer to wait and see.</div> </p>
In a radio interview last year, Thorn was asked what he thought Williams could do as a starter in the league...now. He was succinct and quite specific, which for him was surprising: He said he figured about 14 ppg and top five in assists. Of course, he would have to be playing for a team for whom defense didnt matter, like the Hawks.</p>
Last year, at thistime, first reports of Nachbar's improvement began to filter out of the practice facility. Virtually no one thought he would be a key player. He was Bernard Robinson with a jump shot. Maybe Williams is this year'sNachbar. (And do note that Dave D'Alessandro is not a big fan of Williams. His guy was Hassan Adams.) </p>
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