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Terrence Williams is different. He gets that. He would rather pass than
shoot, would rather pass than score, would rather pass than do anything else
on a basketball court.

Though a product of the AAU system that is reviled by NBA coaches for
cultivating excessive one-on-one, attack-the-rim play, the Seattle native
counts to five – as in five players in the lineup – and doesn't forget that
the game is played with one ball.

"On every team, whether you're little or big, the mindset is to score,"
Williams said. "But that isn't me. I always wanted to be Magic (Johnson)."

What he wants more than anything is to secure longtime employment, preferably
with the Kings. After he was picked up off waivers March 21 and signed for
the rest of the season, his audition is entering its final, potentially
pivotal days. In his third NBA season, Williams is attempting to distinguish
himself from a crowd of swingmen that includes veterans John Salmons,
Francisco Garcia, Tyreke Evans and Donté Greene.

His closing act could very well affect two things: his free-agent market
value and his fit on a Kings roster that is expected to undergo changes this
offseason via trades, free agency and another appearance in the NBA draft
lottery.

While Williams has done little to minimize the Kings' lack of frontcourt size
and chronic shooting woes, his vision, playmaking and unselfishness have
facilitated coach Keith Smart's ongoing attempts to break the team of its
dribble-heavy, sluggish tempo. The emergence of Isaiah Thomas, coupled with
the potential of Jimmer Fredette and Williams, has at least dropped the need
for a pre-eminent point guard down a few spots.

Size, length, shooting. Those are the priorities.

A tremendous athlete with a muscled 220 pounds packed onto his 6-foot-6
frame, Williams' game is as old school as his favorite player, Magic Johnson.
The former Louisville standout can defend, handle the ball and rebound, and
he has a midrange game – a rarity in today's NBA. Mostly, though, he "loves
a passer," and it shows. Outlet passes. Soft underhand tosses. Hard,
one-bounce throws to cutters. Skip passes to the corners.

"Terrence finds people in their rhythm," said Smart, "and that's not an easy
thing to do."

There is nothing easy or even predictable about Williams' life. His father
was shot to death when he was 7. While starring in football and basketball at
Rainier High School, he spent many nights couch surfing and living with
friends, teammates and coaches.

"A terrible background," Louisville coach Rick Pitino described when reached
on his cellphone. "I was really hard on Terrence because I wanted to make
sure he turned out the right way. He's the type of guy, if you give an inch,
he'll take a yard. But if you take the time to get to know him, he's a great
person. My family loves him. I love him."

Under Pitino's demanding tutelage, Williams flourished on the court and in
the classroom. He earned a bachelor's degree in four years – a major
accomplishment these days for any college student – and graduated only weeks
before being drafted by the New Jersey Nets with the 11th overall pick in
2009.

Pitino insists he was "shocked" by subsequent reports about tardiness and
maturity issues that accompanied Williams to the Houston Rockets in December
2010.

"Terrence was never late, not one time, maybe because he knew I wouldn't put
up with it," Pitino said. "He thought he was a tough guy, though. Ask Cisco
(Garcia) sometime about Terrence's recruiting visit. He walks into the gym
and asks, 'Who is this Francisco Garcia? He can't be a better player than I
am!' I told Cisco to go out there and kick his butt. He needs humbling."

Asked about the encounter, Garcia laughed. "I destroyed him. Ask Terrence how
many points he scored."

"None," admitted Williams, 24, grinning. "I never got the ball."

Williams still gets mildly irritated when asked about the reports from the
Nets and the Rockets and acknowledges his rookie mistakes, but he quickly
references his success at Louisville. And, interestingly, he says his own
experiences – including verbal jousts with referees during his high school
years – have furthered a relationship with second-year center DeMarcus
Cousins.

"If you get fouled and it's not called," Williams said, "you want to let
everybody know. You speak your mind. But you can't do that. Just play."