Jay Williams' quest to greatness

By Steve Goldstein Sports Central Columnist

If Jay Williams had come out of Duke after his sophomore year and been drafted by the Chicago Bulls, his rookie campaign would have been a nightmare. Williams would have had to figure out how to understand Tim Floyd while the head coach screamed during every timeout. He would have had to adjust to playing with Ron Mercer, who doesn't like to pass, especially to rookies.

Luckily for Williams, he joined the Bulls this season. Though Chicago looks lottery-bound once again, there's reason for optimism. Jalen Rose is not an NBA All-Star, but he's on the next-highest level. Rose handles the ball like the point guard he was at Michigan, hits clutch baskets, and was on an Indiana Pacers team that had a lot of postseason experience.

Donyell Marshall was another solid acquisition by Chicago. After an All-American stint at Connecticut, Marshall drifted around the NBA, underachieving in Minnesota and Golden State. Then he landed in Utah, where his skills complemented Karl Malone's.

Marshall is a fine three-point shooter for a man who's 6-9 and is an excellent weak-side rebounder. When Malone would shoot over a double-team and miss, Marshall would inevitably corral the ball and follow up with a basket. Marshall still struggles with inconsistency, but he's already had some outstanding games for the Bulls this season.

Chicago's young big men, however, could turn out to be complete busts. It's less likely in the case of Tyson Chandler, whose pure athleticism alone will allow him to excel against certain plodding power forwards. However, highlight-film dunks won't make Chandler an NBA star. He's going to have to learn patience and some patented post-moves.

His running mate, Eddy Curry, should have gone to college. Even if he had no intention of studying, Curry would have been forced to focus on improving his fitness and his skills on the court. There's so much that goes into learning how to be a powerful NBA big man, offensively and defensively. Curry doesn't seem to know any of it, reason to believe his current contract will be the only one he ever sees in the NBA.

The best way for Curry and Chandler to succeed is by following the example of their head coach, former Bull center Bill Cartwright. Cartwright was an unathletic center who developed a few shots and used his huge body to tire his opponents. He built those qualities into a long NBA career. Chandler and Curry both enter the league with more natural ability than Cartwright. Now they have to learn how to harness that ability.

It's a mixed lot for Jay Williams in Chicago. The Bulls will undoubtedly have some very bad nights when their shooting is off and their collective talent level isn't enough. But Williams is a solid ball handler, a great shooter, and a winner.

Those three qualities will probably lead to him being the NBA's Rookie of the Year -- if he stays healthy -- and they'll definitely help the Bulls come close to returning to the top of the NBA in the near future. Don't expect any championships in the next few years, though. He does have the letter "J" in his name, but it isn't short for Jordan.

Article courtesy of Sports Central.