http://tinyurl.com/44y3q J-Will's play a bright spot Griz point guard is raising his game of late By Ronald Tillery Contact November 16, 2004 SEATTLE -- Soon after the Grizzlies were done blowing a 21-point lead and throwing away a blowout victory, they learned from coach Hubie Brown that Monday would be a day off. If you're wondering about further penalty for such a collapse, perhaps it was that the Griz immediately traveled to Portland instead of remaining in the more cosmopolitan Seattle. The Griz don't play Portland's Rose Garden until Wednesday, meaning the free day presented few entertainment distractions. If you're wondering about the bright side of the Grizzlies holding a 2-5 record, then point guard Jason Williams is arguably a prudent pick. Despite the Grizzlies' 118-113 loss Sunday against the Seattle SuperSonics, Williams provided more credit toward early redemption this season. With seven assists against Seattle, Williams became the Grizzlies' career leader in that category, surpassing Mike Bibby. More important, Williams is back to playing at a level needed for the Grizzlies to compete. That the Griz entered the game with consecutive victories by a margin of 20-plus points and were mauling the Sonics through three quarters is no coincidence. Williams is pushing the ball, shooting and distributing it with more proficiency than seen in his first three outings. Williams has averaged 11.7 points on 50-percent shooting with 6.3 assists and two turnovers over the past four games. Those statistics are in stark contrast to a shaky start when he struggled through 29-percent shooting, and averaged three assists and two turnovers in the season's first three games. His attitude and body language had been in a slump, too. But Williams has taken charge in a responsible manner since that Nov. 6 loss at Dallas where he unleashed a profanity-laced tirade at assistant coach Brendan Brown on the bench. "We all just have to do what we're supposed to do," Williams said. "Know your position, know your role and play the best you can. Our game is running and I take a lot of blame for that because I wasn't pushing the ball like I should. All Hubie can ask us to do is play hard and do what we're supposed to do, and that's what I'm trying to do." Williams apologized to the team for his eruption during that Dallas game. "He was embarrassed," Hubie Brown said. "He knows that he embarrassed himself and his family because what he was yelling about was stupid. That (starting) group just lost a 12-point lead and they were down nine. So we're going to be yelling at the play calling? Stop already. That's just frustration as you're coming out of the game. You're mad at everybody. You're mad at yourself. You can't get your group going." No one can argue that Williams hasn't been a catalyst even as the Griz struggle to regain the style of play that made them so successful last season. Take the Seattle game for example. The Griz led by 19 points when Williams took a seat with 4:19 left in the third period. They clung to a six-point advantage by the time Williams checked back into the game with 6:57 remaining in the fourth. No one could argue, either, that Williams doesn't own the distinction of playing an integral role in reviving two NBA franchises. The Sacramento Kings prospered with his flash and dash. Now, no one has set up more baskets -- or wins -- in Grizzlies history. "He deserves all the credit because he's reined in his game and accepted the discipline of how we play," Brown said. "He knows he can do whatever, but it better not be a turnover. It comes down to do you accept turnovers or not? Do you accept busted plays? We don't accept that mainly because the talent (in Williams) is there for greatness. Don't miss what I just said. Now, it comes down to do you want that level on a nightly basis? From circle to circle, who in the league is faster than (Williams)? ... And you never have to question whether he enjoys the game. He loves the game." Tip-ins The Grizzlies, National Civil Rights Museum and the City of Memphis will commemorate the third annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebration with a series of events Jan. 14-17. The annual MLK Jr. Day game will be nationally televised on Turner Network Television with the Houston Rockets visiting Jan. 17. This year, Nike Jordan Brand will join the collaboration as a presenting sponsor of "The Family of Sport" Symposium to be held in FedExForum at a yet-to-be-determined date. The symposium will feature nationally prominent Jordan Brand athletes and local Memphis sports stars who will share stories about how their families worked together in the spirit of Dr. King to help reach athletic goals. -- Ronald Tillery: 529-2353 --

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