Hawks' target: 'Landlord' or low-rent stiff? By SEKOU SMITH The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Published on: 06/27/06 If the Hawks' interest in drafting Duke power forward Shelden Williams is sincere, and from all indications it appears to be, there is a historical context that has to be considered when evaluating him. Williams was just the third player in NCAA history to finish his career with at least 1,500 points, 1,000 rebounds, 350 blocks and 150 steals. The other two were dominant college players as well, players who were the top overall picks. One was a Hall of Famer— David Robinson — and the other — Pervis Ellison — was one of the great NBA draft busts of all time. And therein lies the dilemma when you're talking about Williams, a beefy 6-foot-9, 258-pound low-post monster nicknamed "The Landlord" because of the way he patrolled the paint. Do you take a player like Williams with the fifth pick in Wednesday's draft, hoping he will turn out more like Robinson than Ellison? ESPN analyst and former Duke star Jay Bilas rates Williams as the fifth-best player available and gives this assessment: "Shelden Williams is efficient, productive and very strong. He blocks shots and rebounds out his area at a high rate, and can hit a face-up jumper to 18 feet. He is really long-armed and can bang with anyone. He may have trouble getting shots off in traffic, but he will be a more offensive-minded version of Dale Davis. Teams know what they're getting with Williams, and that is an NBA-ready big that will perform for a dozen years." Still, the success rate of undersized college post players turning into NBA superstars, or even NBA All-Stars, is short. Mostly, they become fringe talents — guys too short to be effective on both ends of the floor despite their willingness to wade into deep water without a flotation device on a nightly basis — and situational players. Williams was the national Defensive Player of the Year during his junior season at Duke and averaged an impressive 18.8 points, 10.7 rebounds and 3.8 blocks per game during his senior season. He also got the better of a December matchup against Texas center LaMarcus Aldridge. Williams finished with 23 points, six rebounds, five blocks and four assists in Duke's blowout win while Aldridge, projected by some as the top overall pick, finished with 21 points, six rebounds and no blocks. But as impressive as his credentials are, few NBA executives project Williams to be anything more than a role player at the pro level. They're either selling him short, based on the history of other players with similar profiles who have flat-lined at the NBA level, or assuming he'll navigate the transition the way guys like Elton Brand, Carlos Boozer, Corliss Williamson and others have in recent years. Williams has been compared favorably to veteran NBA power forward/center Antonio Davis, a 6-9, 245-pound rock who has career averages of 10 points and 7.5 rebounds and played in one All-Star Game in 13 NBA seasons. That's quite a career for the 45th pick in the 1990 draft. But if the fifth pick in any draft has a career like that, he'll be considered a disappointment. 資料來源 http://www.ajc.com/hawks/content/sports/hawks/stories/0627hawks.html --

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