推 CarlosBoozer:Williams 09/08 18:43
Williams Not Resting on his Laurels
By Travis Heath
for HOOPSWORLD.com
Sep 6, 2007, 23:14
Most people expected Deron Williams to get better between his rookie and
sophomore campaigns as most rookies do. However, few expected him to make
the jump into the league's next great point guard. And after what he did in
the playoffs last season, it's hard for anyone to argue with a straight face
that he's not one of the top-five point guards in the league today.
As a result of last season's success, Williams was invited to play for Team
USA. The experience was one he won't soon forget and is also one he hopes
will catapult him into even more success this season.
"It was a great experience for me, man," Williams said in an exclusive
interview in Las Vegas. "Being a 23-year-old, being the guy with the least
experience on this team, it meant a lot for me to make the team and be out
here playing with the best players in the world and under the best coaches in
the game. What better way to spend two of your weeks than qualifying for the
Olympics and having a chance to be on the Olympic squad next year."
While Williams unquestionably benefited from being around all of the great
players Team USA had to offer, he learned the most from point guard Jason
Kidd who Williams modeled his game after growing up.
"I just picked up on little things that he does in his game that I try and
incorporate in mine," Williams explained. "The way he passes the ball is
crazy. I mean, I thought I could pass the ball, but watching him... it's
just a different level. Where he places the ball on the court and just
little things he does are amazing to watch."
When asked if he believes the Americans will win the gold next year in
Beijing, Williams responded: "Yeah, I think so. I think this team is too
good not to. We know it's not going to be an easy task. We know it's not
going to be like (the FIBA Americas Championship). There's going to be some
tougher games, but we just feel that if we play how we're supposed to, play
defense, are unselfish like we were this whole tournament, no team should be
able to beat us."
With FIBA competition now in the rearview, Williams is focused on helping the
Jazz build on last season's success, and he made it very clear what the goal
should be this season.
"We want to win a championship," Williams said matter-of-factly. "I think
that's everybody's goal when they start-off the season. Man, we have the
same team coming back with the exception of (Derek Fisher). We've added a
couple of key guys in the draft and free agency, and we should be better.
Hopefully guys took advantage of the summer, worked on their games, and are
ready to go. I know I am. I'm ready to jump into the season right now."
Last offseason Williams began working with a personal trainer and got into
the best shape of his life, and Jazz fans can expect the 23-year-old to be in
the same kind of shape when he reports to camp next month.
When asked what he did this summer, Williams replied: "Same thing. I always
work hard. I'm really going to continue to workout hard after (the FIBA
Americas Championship), get on it even harder. I really just started working
out before this because we played so long. I've still got to get in better
shape, work with my personal trainer a lot more, and I'll be ready for the
season."
Even despite how well the Jazz performed a season ago, Williams knows Utah
has plenty of room for growth. And perhaps the greatest teacher came in the
form of the San Antonio Spurs in the Western Conference Finals last May.
"We just learned that we've got to get better," Williams confided. "(San
Antonio's) a solid team. They don't make many mistakes, and they make teams
pay for their mistakes. We've got to learn to do that. We've got to learn
when we've got teams down to keep them down. We've also got to learn to play
together a little bit better and stay together."
http://www.hoopsworld.com/article_23235.shtml
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