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Kings gamble on a wildcard Sacramento drafts talented but troubled Jason Williams
Posted: Thursday June 25, 1998 12:06 AM
SACRAMENTO, California (AP) -- The Sacramento Kings selected point guard Jason Williams in the draft Wednesday, giving them a powerhouse passer and shooter -- but one whose troubles off the court left a cloud hanging over him after his truncated college career. With a repertoire of dazzling moves, the 6-foot-1, 190-pound junior averaged 17.1 points and 6.7 assists for the Florida Gators last season, with 53 steals. Williams set a school record with his 17 assists against Duquesne on December 3. But in February, the school dismissed him for violating team and University Athletic Association rules. The team didn't say what rules Williams had broken, but he had been suspended twice previously last season. Williams, 23, was first suspended for missing too much class time, and again for what Gators coach Billy Donovan called "an unacceptable attitude in practice and in games." According to published reports, the violations the third time included testing positive for marijuana. Nevertheless, some scouts considered Williams the best point guard in the draft after Mike Bibby of Arizona, who went to Vancouver. The Kings took Williams with the seventh overall pick. Geoff Petrie, the team's vice president of basketball operations, said the team had been watching Williams since his days at Marshall University, and came to believe he could fill a longstanding void at point guard. "Everybody, to a man in our office, felt that the talent level was excellent and the skill level was very high," Petrie said. Asked about his off-the-court problems, Petrie said the team had spent "as much time as possible" with Williams and had interviewed former coaches, concluding he was worth the risk. "He has never been convicted of any crime, and he doesn't have any driving violations," Petrie pointed out. In a conference call with reporters, Williams said repeatedly that he had learned from his discipline problems and was ready to move on. "It was a mistake. I'm human, I owned up to it, and I know I did it and I shouldn't have," he said. "But I can't change it now. "Ever since then, from day one after that, I decided to put it behind me and just look forward," he said. Growing up in Belle, West Virginia, Williams was the only player in Dupont High School history to score more than 1,000 points and tally more than 500 assists. Out of high school, he signed with Providence, then changed his mind when the coaching staff changed. He went to Fork Union Military Academy in Virginia -- for a week -- before transferring to Marshall University in West Virginia. There he was the Southern Conference freshman of the year. When Marshall's coach Donovan went to Florida, Williams followed. Williams emerged as a flashy playmaker who shoots with good range and is given to behind-the-back passes. He hit 44 percent from the field last season, and led the Gators with 84 percent free-throw shooting. The Kings need the offensive help. Last season the team averaged 93.1 points per game, ranking 23rd in the NBA. But in Williams the Kings acquire another young player with talent but a checkered history off the court. Last month, they picked up Chris Webber from the Washington Wizards. Webber, who has said he's not happy about going to Sacramento, is awaiting trial for a January arrest on charges of marijuana possession, second-degree assault, resisting arrest and several traffic-related charges after he was stopped on the way to practice on January 20. In the second round, the Kings picked up center Jerome James out of Florida AM, who led the nation in blocks with 4.6 per game.
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