Mavs' new center piece brings a lot to table
Williams could be big help as a middle man
12:58 AM CST on Saturday, January 31, 2004
By EDDIE SEFKO / The Dallas Morning News
The Scott Williams of 1994 would have been a tremendous addition to the Mavericks.
How much he has left in the tank in 2004 remains to be seen. But the Mavericks believe they received some much-needed insurance at the center position Friday when they claimed the 6-10, 260-pounder off waivers.
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New center piece brings a lot to table
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As far as the former Phoenix Sun is concerned, it's a dream come true.
"I can't wait to get there and start helping the Big Three-plus," Williams said Friday evening before catching a flight from Phoenix to Dallas. "I've always prided myself in playing well in the bigger games. It's going to be a lot of fun, and I'm looking forward to getting nasty in the paint with those guys."
Williams, a 14-year NBA veteran, said the situation got tense for him shortly before the 5 p.m. deadline Friday for teams to claim him off waivers.
"It got a little hairy at the end with Miami," Williams said. "They showed an interest, but I have to give credit to [Phoenix general manager] Bryan Colangelo. He and my agent told Miami if they claimed me, I wasn't going to report and would start coaching for the Suns. So that worked out. My wife and I are thrilled to be coming to Dallas."
Since Williams was making the minimum salary for somebody with more than 10 years of NBA experience, the Mavericks did not have to make any moves to accommodate Williams on the roster.
They think he is a perfect fit for what they need – somebody to be a presence in the paint who has loads of playoff experience.
"We don't need a guy to trot out there 40 minutes a night," said Donnie Nelson, president of basketball operations/assistant coach. "We need a guy who's been through some of the playoff wars and understands his place on this team.
"Hopefully he can provide us some of that punch that we need in the middle, a guy who is more of a true center."
Williams had a thumb injury early this season, but he said he is fit now and expects to be in uniform today against Denver.
Shawn Bradley is the only other true center on the roster, although Danny Fortson, Eduardo Najera and Dirk Nowitzki all have pitched in at times in the pivot. Nelson said he expects the addition of Williams – along with the return next week of Najera – to ease the burden on Nowitzki, who has logged more minutes in the paint than the coaching staff would like.
At one time, Williams was more than just a functional center. He was on the Chicago Bulls' championship teams from 1991 to '93 and was a key contributor on the last two of those. Williams also played with Bradley in Philadelphia in the mid-'90s.
"Scott's a good dude," Bradley said. "He can hit the 16-foot jump shot. He's aggressive, and he's going to go for rebounds. Plus, he's smart and been in a lot of playoff games."
Najera still not ready: The waiting is really starting to bug Eduardo Najera.
The forward will have another strength test on his left knee Monday. If his leg is at least 80 percent as strong as his right leg, he will be cleared to practice and could resume playing sometime next week. He has been out since late December.
"I'm bored out of my mind," he said. "But the last thing I want is to hurry back and be back where I was. The truth is, I skipped rehab last year, and I'm paying for it now."
Najera came back from knee surgery last season without getting the knee back to full strength.
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