Terrence Williams Goes to Nets With 11th Pick
Louisville swingman a natural choice after Vince Carter trade
By JOSH ALPER
Updated 9:43 PM EST, Thu, Jun 25, 2009
When the news of the trade sending Vince Carter to Orlando broke Thursday afternoon, it didn't take long for draft speculation to focus on Terrence Williams of Louisville. The Nets suddenly had a big hole for a wing player who could handle the ball, and they didn't hesitate to fill it with Williams.
It was one of the least surprising picks of a first round overflowing with them. Williams saw himself heading to the Nets well before David Stern called his name.
"Yeah, I think I woke up this morning and kind of had a sort of an idea what was going to happen when I seen that Vince Carter trade go down."
He also expressed his excitement for the potential move to Brooklyn, and, even if he's in East Rutherford for now, appears to have a taste for the big city.
"This is a great market for a lot of reasons. If you love to shop, I love to shop, New York is right across the bridge. So everything works out perfect for me."
Even before Carter left Jersey, the Nets were interested in Williams' mix of quickness, ball handling and defense. Once they swung the trade with the Magic, there wasn't a player on the board that made more sense for their needs.
Williams' mix of skills should mean he'll get a lot of minutes early on in his Nets career. The roster is in a bit of flux following the Carter deal, and Williams' versatility should give him a leg up on some other players when Lawrence Frank is looking to fill out his lineup. Furthermore, the Nets would love to be able to play Devin Harris off the ball to take advantage of his scoring. Williams should give them the opportunity to do that.
Josh Alper is a writer living in New York City and is a contributor to FanHouse.com and ProFootballTalk.com in addition to his duties for NBCNewYork.com.
Copyright NBC Local Media
First Published: Jun 25, 2009 8:26 PM EST
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