Photo by Fernando Medina/NBAE via Getty Images
Synergy-fueled player evaluations, with the help of other metrics, are always fun.
Today, the point guards.
| 2009-2010 regular season | Jason Williams |
|---|---|
| Games Played | 82 |
| Minutes Played | 20.8 |
| adj. +/- | -2.59 |
| net +/- | -1.4 |
| statistical +/- | -0.45 |
| PER | 12.9 |
| WARP | 2.1 |
| Win Shares/48 | .127 |
When general manager Otis Smith inked Jason Williams to a one-year deal in the off-season to serve as Jameer Nelson‘s backup at the point guard position, some people were skeptical with the signing. At the time, Williams was 33 and there were question marks as to whether or not he had anything left in the tank. And if he did, what type of production would Williams bring to the table for the Orlando Magic?
Although it seemed like Williams ran out of gas in the 2010 NBA Playoffs, there was no question that sitting out a year to tend to his family did him some good. Williams definitely looked and played like a player that had fresh legs, and the Magic greatly benefitted from the energy that he was able to bring off the bench night in and night out on a near consistent basis. When Nelson had to sit out with a knee injury for a month early in the regular season, Williams was able to step in and fill in admirably as a starter. It’s a shame that the season ended the way it did for Williams, because he played an integral role for Orlando as a reserve all year.
Via Synergy Sports Technology:
| 2009-2010 regular season | Time | Poss. | PPP* | Rank | Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OVERALL OFFENSE | 100% | 524 | 0.94 | 57% | Good | |
| P&R Ball Handler | 34% | 178 | 0.92 | 75% | Very Good | |
| Spot-Up | 25.8% | 135 | 1.15 | 88% | Excellent | |
| Transition | 19.3% | 101 | 1.03 | 27% | Below Average | |
| Isolation | 8% | 42 | 0.88 | 65% | Very Good |
| TS% | eFG% | AST% | TOV% | USG% | ORtg |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| .555 | .542 | 26.9 | 16.4 | 14.5 | 115 |
Offense
What’s surprising, more than anything else, was that Williams put up some career-highs offensively. For example, Williams’ Offensive Rating of 115 bested his previous mark of 113 that he set in 2006 as a member of the Miami Heat when they won a championship. Also, Williams set a career-high by shooting 38.0 percent from the three-point line.
Williams has never really been known as an efficient player offensively yet, aided by a career-low usage rate and playing in an offensive system that is tailor-made for shooters, that’s what he was this season. Like Nelson, Williams did most of his damage on offense either in the “P&R Ball Handler” and “Spot-Up” categories. However, it’s a shock that Williams ranked and produced so poorly in the “Transition” category according to Synergy.
Go figure.
Via Synergy Sports Technology:
| 2009-2010 regular season | Time | Poss. | PPP* | Rank | Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OVERALL DEFENSE | 100% | 584 | 0.89 | 49% | Average | |
| P&R Ball Handler | 45.5% | 266 | 0.80 | 58% | Good | |
| Spot-Up | 20.9% | 122 | 1.03 | 34% | Average | |
| Isolation | 17.3% | 101 | 0.93 | 31% | Average | |
| Off Screen | 5.7% | 33 | 0.76 | 75% | Very Good |
| net def. +/- | dMULT | opp. PER | TRB% | STL% | BLK% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| +2.35 | .918 | 15.9 (vs. PG’s) | 4.3 | 1.6 | 0.1 |
Defense
Williams’ defense rated as average makes sense.
As a veteran that has played in the NBA for 11 seasons, Williams has developed enough savvy on the defensive side of the floor to not be a liability.
Closing thoughts
There’s no doubt that Williams was a good role player for the Magic this year and ended up being one of Smith’s best value signings in free agency. Unfortunately for Williams, he was unable to make the same impact in the playoffs as he did in the regular season. Part of that was because he didn’t play as well, and part of it was because his minutes were reduced given that Nelson stepped up his production.
Given his age and contract status, it’s highly unlikely that Williams returns next year (never say never, though) but for at least one season, fans in Orlando were treated to a sample of “White Chocolate.” Williams definitely didn’t disappoint, in that regard.
*points per possession
Grade: B-
