LOS ANGELES – ESPN’s Jay Williams worked alongside Mark Jackson and Dave Pasch calling the Clippers game Wednesday night against the Timberwolves, and the former first-round pick took time before the game to talk to Clippers.com.
Williams, who just released his autobiography “Life Is Not An Accident,” touched on a variety of subjects, from his thoughts on fellow Duke Blue Devils J.J. Redick and Austin Rivers, to the Clippers’ recent success and more.
Have you followed Redick’s career more closely than most and what have you thought of the year he’s having and what he’s done since joining the Clippers?
JW: “I follow the league. I love this league. There’s nothing like watching basketball being played at its finest. I’m a fan of J.J. I’ve been a fan of J.J, since I met him the first day when we were barking at each other on the court. I was second pick in the draft and he was an incoming freshman, and his ego was almost as big as mine. I said, ‘Oh, OK, I kind of like this kid.’
“Watching him and CP3, especially considering how they played each other in college and they didn’t like each other at all then, so now to see them form this dynamic backcourt, it’s a special thing that we’re watching here, and he’s playing his tail off. What he’s been able to do with the ball, putting the ball on the ground, he’s expanded his game. He’s not a one-dimensional player anymore. Dude’s a special player.”
What have you thought about the job the Clippers have done since losing Blake Griffin?
JW: “I was talking to Doc (Rivers) about that, and I think the bench has been great. He was saying for the last three games they’ve been blowing people out by double digits while the starters are minus; I think that goes a long way. Blake goes out, I think that can help your team in a lot of ways, too. They had different sets they’d be playing. They had a big unit, then they had a small unit…Now, when Blake comes back, you can have the versatility in your lineup. That goes a long way. I think that could help this team in the long run.”
What are your thoughts on the elite teams in the West? Do you feel there are still a couple teams behind Golden State and San Antonio that can compete for a title?
JW: “I would say there are two tiers right now. I’d put the Warriors and Spurs in the upper tier and OKC and the Clippers in the second tier. My thing is if CP3 is a guy that is aggressive offensively, that changes the complexity of this team. It’s crazy that the scouting report for an All-Star would be to go under ball screens because he wouldn’t look to shoot the ball. Now when you make him aggressive – and Doc is trying to limit his minutes and keep him fresh for the playoffs, so he’s also trying to find that rhythm – but if he’s aggressive, then you get Jamal (Crawford) and Austin playing the way they are in the second unit, you get Blake back, you’re able to have the versatility to go bigger lineup and smaller lineup. That brings a lot to the table for a team that I think is going to go a lot further this year than people expect.”
Many people know your story at this point (Williams was the No. 2 overall pick in 2002 but his career was derailed following a motorcycle accident in 2003), and you’ve now written your autobiography. Do you enjoy doing the podcasts and opening up about your life?
JW: “My story’s been an open book for a long time, no pun intended. I’ve been waiting for the right time to talk about some of the issues I’ve had. I step on this NBA court tonight, I miss it. These lights, as a player, you feel like you’re born to be in these kind of moments, but I’m also doing life in a different way.
“To get a chance to see guys like Austin – I watched him grow up, he came over to my house in North Carolina having dinner with my family and myself – now watching him become a pro, seeing Jamal. The fact he’s still in the league blows my mind, still doing the same things he was doing back in 2003. I love it. I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
