Dave,
Given the recent article on Luke [Babbitt] I thought we could talk about our other young talent. Some say Luke could be good. I think he'll play in the league but he's a shooter. They come and go like the tides and their consistency has the same ebb and flow. Elliott Williams should [provide] athleticism, scoring ability, and a little defense at least. What do you think about him? The next Martel Webster or Michael Beasley or is he a Vince cater to be?
OK, hold up. The only time Elliot Williams and Vince Carter should be mentioned in the same sentence should include the words "once wore the shoes of". Carter scored 18 per game with 6 rebounds and 3 assists his rookie year, 26 per game with all the trimmings in his second campaign. Elliot Williams played 24 games in his second year. He was half man, half a shoulder blade. He's also half the size of Carter, more or less. If he ever ends up half the player Vince Carter has been, the Blazers will be more than pleased.
Two things contribute to the hope surrounding E-Will. First, he has major hops and when he concentrates on his own shot he looks pretty. Second, because of injuries he's the last young guy on the squad we haven't gotten a good look at yet. That means he's the last guy Trail Blazers fans can dream about with unabashed abandon, those dreams not yet being crushed by mounting evidence on the court. Babbitt and Nolan Smith and all the other deep bench guys have an asterisk by their production. Williams dodged that by not playing huge minutes during the final couple months of Portland's season.
The best thing to say about Williams right now is that he has sizzle and some tools you like. But everything else, pro or con, remains a mystery. Like Al Capone's vault under Geraldo's steely investigation, most mysteries in the NBA turn out to be nothing much. But, you know, there's a chance. Right now the Blazers are starved for a chance, so who can blame people for window shopping on Williams' potential career?
What do you think of E-Will? Do you suspect he'll become a rotation player? Is he a star in the making even? Or will he end up another in the long list of Portland guards who didn't quite pan out? Weigh in below.
--Dave (blazersub@gmail.com)