Man i wish the Bobcats could draft Jawad Williams

The guys seem like a very nice guy.We can move him to SF

HoopsHype.com Interviews

Jawad Williams: "There are not 30 players better than me"
by Jorge Sierra / June 2, 2005

How do you feel your workouts have gone so far?

Jawad Williams: I think it's going great. I'm shooting the ball really well and I'm now able to show the different dimensions of my game that I wasn't able to while I was in college because of the way we played. I'm happy with the way things are going.

Do you feel comfortable in that setting, just working out for teams instead of playing real games?

JW: I feel very comfortable, because you can showcase your skills much better. You have great control of the situation in terms of showing what you can do. Teams can see clearly what you can and you can't do, which is not so obvious when you're playing five-on-five.

You've been in workouts with guys like Ryan Gomes, Danny Granger or Hakim Warrick... Has any player impressed you in particular?

JW: All of the players you mentioned, they were all good. But if I had to pick one, I'd say the one that really impressed me was Ryan Gomes. Just how well he shoots, how athletic he is, how quick he is... I'd say Ryan Gomes. He's really good. But all of them are good.

Do you feel you are at the same level?

JW: I know I am. I know I am at that level. I've been playing with those guys in college, so I know I belong on that group.

How do you take all the traveling, going from one city to another? Doesn't it get boring?

JW: It's exciting. Just getting the chance to play against the best talent in the country, it's great. And it's what you have to do to make the dream come true. It's always been a dream of mine to play in the NBA. So to go through this, it's exciting to me.

How do you kill time when you're not playing?

JW: I don't do much. Maybe play video games. I read the Bible when I'm on the plane. But I don't do much, you know. Just read my Bible and things like that.

Did you think much about the NBA during your senior season at North Carolina?

JW: Not really. We were all focused on winning. We were not like other teams, with guys thinking about that. There was not much room for that on our team. We had the goal of winning the championship. We never talked about the draft. We just focused on playing and winning games. We knew we had to take care of business. Only after we won the championship, we started talking about the draft and all that.

So you never thought "maybe I should do this or that because that's what NBA scouts want to see?"

JW: No, I didn't do that. And the way we played, you couldn't do that. We played within a team concept in which you sacrificed for the good of the team. It was not my thing to focus on individual goals.

How do you feel your game will translate to the next level? Do you see yourself as a small forward or a power forward?

JW: Probably more as a small forward. But I'll probably do both things. Because of my height and my strength, I will play some power forward. Because of my defense and shooting, I'll play some small forward. I think I can cause some matchup problems thanks to the skills that I have.

Every time you read a scouting report about Jawad Williams, it always says "small hands" and "not strong enough." Does that bother you?

JW: I hadn't heard that one about small hands. And as for strength, I think teams are realizing what I'm capable of doing. In workouts, I've been one of the best in the weight room. In bench press, I've been doing very good. I think only a couple of guys beat me at that.

You are currently projected as a second-round pick. Would you be disappointed if you don't go higher than that?

JW: I'd be disappointed because I know there are not so many guys better than me. There are not 30 players better than me. But anyway, I would make the best of the situation. It would disappoint me, but not all that much. I know there have been guys that have been second-round picks that are having great careers. You have Michael Redd, Gilbert Arenas, Marquis Daniels... It's not that bad.

In case you don't make an NBA team, do you have a Plan B for next season?

JW: I would probably go overseas, but that's not something that has even crossed my mind. I'm focused on the task ahead, showing people what I can do that I couldn't show before. Everywhere I've been, they've been like, "I didn't know you could do this or that." They couldn't see that because of the system we play at North Carolina, which is very team-oriented. It has happened before with other players. You have Jerry Stackhouse or Vince Carter, that were good in college, but then they go to the NBA and they go crazy with it when they have more freedom.

Everybody was talking about Marvin Williams, Sean May or Raymond Felton this year. How did it feel being overlooked like that?

JW: It didn't bother me because it was a team concept that we played there. I didn't mind being overlooked. It was not a system made for players to shine, just to win. It's like us players were flying under the radar there and now teams are realizing about all the things we can do.

Would you trade your championship ring with North Carolina for a first-round selection and a guaranteed contract in the NBA?

JW: I wouldn't because even if you are a second-round pick, you can still make a team although you don't have three years guaranteed. And a national championship, you can't win that every day. There have been many great players that have not been able to win that, so I wouldn't trade one thing for the other.

Jorge Sierra is the editor of HoopsHype.com

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I think Jawad will have a decent NBA career. More and more it's turning into a league of tweeners, and he's got good size and skill.

 

Not at 5 or 13, he isn't worth that. If he were consistantly good like the times when he is on then yes. But he has a habit of no show stretches, so to me that makes him late first rounder to anywhere in the 2nd.