Acquired: Eric Williams

[SPARKY]

http://www.nba.com/media/raptors/ewilliams_140_041220.jpghttp://www.nba.com/raptors/images/raptors_logo.gif

Eric Williams | 17
Position: F
Born: Jul 17, 1972
Height: 6-8 / 2,03
Weight: 220 lbs. / 99,8 kg.
College : Providence

Info (http://www.nba.com/playerfile/eric_williams/index.html)

I will be somewhat suprised if Williams ever puts on a Spurs uniform. He's on the team for one reason and that is that his contract has one year left on it. That contract should come in handy. At worst, the Spurs let him walk at the end of the season and take some $ off their cap. At best, the contract helps to facilitate a trade or land a free agent via a sign and trade. Salary reduction is no small matter for many a NBA team.

Maybe the Spurs let him have a go at it, perhaps to see if he can be useful and he to see if he can squeeze one more NBA payday out of his career by next summer. Still, it seems to be getting close to the witching hour of his career...

[Texas_Ranger]

Solid player, not much to say about him.

[timvp]

Somewhere Ghost Writer is smiling.

[T Park]

:lol

oh yeah

Erick Williams > Bruce Bowen


:lol

[timvp]

The best thing about him is his expiring contract. That could very well come in handy.

If he can play, that'd be a bonus. He hasn't actually had court time in a while, so it's tough to tell what he can or can't do these days.

If he can fill a Jerome Kersey type roll of a thick small forward used to play defense, he could actually make the team.

We'll see.

[J.T.]

Trade him for D Wade.

[Mr. Body]

There are mutterings on Raptors boards that he was a complainer for Toronto. Something about being so far away from his son, who's in the NY area. (Why his son can't go to Toronto, I don't know.)

I doubt the 11th guy on the bench can be much of a malcontent, but it is a minor issue.

[T Park]

Id say it was more of playing on a team that sucked ass.

[Obstructed_View]

Id say it was more of playing on a team that sucked ass.
Being surrounded by Canadians all the time doesn't help either.

[mattyc]

If he can fill a Jerome Kersey type roll of a thick small forward used to play defense, he could actually make the team.

My thoughts exactly. Could be handy.

[RON ARTEST]

Trade him for D Wade.
:rolleyes

[whottt]

I realize this guy is old and already showing decline...but sometimes the old guys start smelling ring and are able to turn the clock back just a bit, one last time.

Example: Gary Payton and Alonzo Mourning this year, Kevin Willis in 03.

All of these guys were thought to be done, done, done. Lo and behold, they smelled ring and ended up being valuable pieces on a championship team, on the basis of nothing more than desire and experience. Hell Robert Horry was thought to be done too(twice before, and is again).

This happens a lot in basketball...where the old guys, given up on, and forgotten, are able to scratch and claw for one more productive season, with the proper motivation in front of them.

Yeah Williams appears to be done, then again, he didn't exactly have a lot to play for in Toronto...I wouldn't just automatically dismiss the possibilities of him being a contributor on this team...he does fill a need, and he won't have to log heavy minutes.

If he does end up getting traded, no biggie, but he still very well could be a contributor and the past few seasons don't automatically mean he can no longer contribute.

[JamStone]

Gary Payton and Alonzo Mourning were former all stars. Kevin Willis didn't do jack to help the Spurs win a ring in 2003.

Those comparisons are pretty off base.

[picnroll]

He could be this years NVE. Old and useless.

[whottt]

Gary Payton and Alonzo Mourning were former all stars.


Um...Alonzo also used to have good kidneys.

Gary Payton has been considered done a long time.




Kevin Willis didn't do jack to help the Spurs win a ring in 2003..


Was it your intent to prove you are completely full of shit?

If so...well done.

If it wasn't...I suggest not evaluating the contributions of players for teams and during playoffs, that you obviously didn't watch....it makes you look a complete fool.


Lastly...is it your intent to suggest that players thought to be washed up never prove anyone wrong?


Just shut up...go back to bed...and start this day over.

[spurster]

He could be this years NVE. Old and useless.
We knew NVE came in with injuries. What does Williams come in with?

[Notorious H.O.P.]

Eric Williams was averaging 12.6 (47%fg and 42.5%3pt) and 4.5 in 21 games for NJ in 04-05 until he was traded to the Raptors, which he was pretty upset about.

Did his attitude toward the being traded to the Raptors lead to an immediate cut in minutes played or did they give him a fair shot and suddenly he didn't have it anymore?

It would seem to me that...

he goes to the Raptors
is pissed because he doesn't want to be there
they respond by cutting his minutes
he responds by decreasing his effort
they cut his minutes further
his attitude goes in the shitter and he becomes a "cancer"

Maybe now that he is with a winning team and a new atmosphere, he can show if he still has something left in the tank. If not, trade him to a team looking for salary relief and hopefully pick up someone decent.

[Bruno]

If Williams can play, it will allow us to sign a young SF that is not ready to contribute. He is quite big, athletic and can defend.
A Manu/Bruce/Finley/Williams SG/SF rotation can work during a year while the project grow up like Jackson in his first year with us.

If he sucks or if we get a good SF, the most likely for him is to be traded to a team under the cap at the deadline (with cash to pay his reamining salary and a 2nd round pick as incentives). It will allow Spurs to go under the tax threshold if they are few millions above it.

[SPARKY]

One would think that Williams could be motivated by the prospect of revitatlizing his career. If he had a solid year in SA coming off the bench and contributing to a title run, that might be worth $5 mil or so over 2 years to him come next summer.

I'm still not expecting anything other than him sitting through a lot of games, at the end of the bench or in street clothes, until the Spurs opt to trade (ala what Bruno outlined) or release him.

[3xchamps]

Hmm, I'm thinking he at least could give us a bigger body to throw at artest/wells should we meet up with them again

[T Park]

Being surrounded by Canadians all the time doesn't help either.


:lol

agreed.


Eric Williams was averaging 12.6 (47%fg and 42.5%3pt) and 4.5 in 21 games for NJ in 04-05 until he was traded to the Raptors


OOO. I like....

If he could shoot those percentages, and give the same effort on the boards, this will go down as a Robertson Anderson for Terry Cummings esque trade.

[mardigan]

The Knicks sure could use some expiring contracts. Williams for Malik?

[JamStone]

2002-2003 Playoffs:

Kevin Willis: 5.05 mpg, 2.6 ppg, 1.7 rpg


Whottt, five minutes per game throughout the playoffs. Are you telling me Kevin Willis all of a sudden became a major force off the bench to help win the 2003 NBA title? Again, you're a fucking idiot.

[Bruno]

The Knicks sure could use some expiring contracts. Williams for Malik?

:lmao

[MoSpur]

Why Would The Spurs Give An Expiring Contract For A Bloated And For A Player Like Malik.

[mardigan]

So he doesnt have to close the Cheesesteak resteraunt

[bigdog]

he wouldnt close his restaurant anways. he has a home in san antonio. haha. i think eric williams will be traded,dont know to who, but a team would do anything to clear up some cap space

[mardigan]

Was joking about the resteraunt, but I do agree that some team will give up more than they should for an expiring contract. Williams for s&t for Ariza

[bigdog]

yeah, Ariza would be pretty good to see here. hes still young and inexperienced, but then again we do need to get younger.

[mardigan]

Hes also long and a pretty good defender, almost like he could be our next Bowen

[Cant_Be_Faded]

LOLOL @ the Pirate Hooker who said Kevin Willis didn't do anything for us in 2003.

U R guay

[mardigan]

Willis was the enforcer we have been missing since he left

[Cant_Be_Faded]

No shit, also he hazed the new guys like he was in the Marines, didn't take a half assed effort from ANY BIG MAN around him, and although he was a Black Hole, and had flippers for arms, he was not afraid to put a hard foul on anyone.

[mookie2001]

and he was speedy claxtons dad

[Cant_Be_Faded]

Kevin Willis and DRob were surrogate fathers of speedy claxton

[TDMVPDPOY]

i thought massoman did an alright job too as big bossman

[Cant_Be_Faded]

whottt's a bigman?

[Darkwaters]

Toronto traded Aaron Williams to the Hornets last year for a couple of 2nd rounders (incidentally, that 2009 second rounder we just picked up was included in this trade). The Hornets got a Center that never got any time in Toronto and he became a crucial piece to their team improving 20 games from the previous season. There was no championship buzz around the Hornets, yet this Williams brought his A-game. Can we just hope that the Raptors are the kind of the team that doesn't know what they have?

What about Bonner? You think he'll have a spot in the rotation? Or will he be traded?