Went to a game at Arco Arena. Kings-Raptors. An affront to the basketball senses. A combined 34 assists and 29 turnovers. Toronto shot 36.7 percent, Sacramento 35.6 percent. Each team blew double-digit leads. The Kings won 98-91 largely because their point guard made seven of 13 attempts, scored 19 points and had six assists against one turnover. Jason Williams spends a lot of time doing this, and not playing down the stretch of games.
Jason Williams. Mr. Stability.
Be afraid. Be very afraid.
The Kings never know what to expect from Williams, rejoice on the good nights and grimace their way through the others, hoping it will all be part of the learning curve that will end soon. At least they can be comforted with the presence of a dependable backup, Bobby Jackson, but that only partly settles the dilemma at the position -- sometimes, Rick Adelman goes with the backup down the stretch in close games.
Not that Sacramento is alone in wondering where it stands at the critical position. There's a lot of that going on, as the trading deadline has passed, one noteworthy player has cleared waivers and signed as a free agent, and every team either destined for the playoffs or hoping to get in knows the play from the point in critical.
Take the Knicks. They took on three more years of contract (after this season) at about $12.5 million to reacquire Mark Jackson for Chris Childs, then got similar mixed results. Twelve assists (with just three turnovers), 11 rebounds and nine points in 37 minutes against the SuperSonics. Two games later, he's at six assists, five turnovers, two points, 19 minutes versus the Bulls. New York scored 72 points and lost.
The good news is that at least the Apple faithful, always a considerate people, will be very, very patient before voicing any concerns over the play at the position. (No, really, the watch is a genuine Rolex. I'm only selling it out of my jacket while standing on the street corner to save rent and overhead, thus passing the saving on to you.) Patient in this case meaning they will at least let Jackson get changed before charging the locker room after his poor defense becomes critical in some playoff loss.
Attention always goes to the point guards in the postseason, or even in the final 20-something games of a regular season that will include great pressure on every outcome, considering the impact one loss could have in playoff positioning. That's especially true in the labyrinth of possibilities in the West, but the focus on the position is bright on all fronts. Williams and Jackson are just the lucky ones to face it the most. Here are 10 guys.
1. Williams. The offseason acquisition of Jackson as a free agent was one of the best things to happen to the Kings and one of the worst to Williams, because no longer is Adelman without options there. Put it this way: Tony Delk played a lot of backup down the stretch and in the playoffs a year ago, and he's been primarily a shooting guard after signing with the Suns. Defense continues to be Williams' weakness, and that's a Jackson strength.
Bottom line: if the Kings get consistent play from Williams -- not spectacular, just solid -- it will make up for not having homecourt advantage in a series.
2. Jackson. Welcome home. Now don't screw up.
3. Steve Nash, Mavericks. In a season in which he deserved all-star consideration and should get votes for Most Improved Player, his play is above question. His hamstrings, however, are not beyond concern. The injury has already been a problem this season, leading to skids for the entire team. It was the left leg most recently. Nash's health will be an issue through the playoffs because he has been going with little in the way of extended rest since July because the Canadian national team for which he starred didn't have the luxury of cruising through qualifying for the Olympics like some countries we know.
4. Rod Strickland and Damon Stoudamire, Trail Blazers. Just what that team needed. More dry brush. Drop match here. In theory, it could be a huge move. Portland not only added some depth -- Scottie Pippen had been getting some time there as a point forward as Greg Anthony continues to battle a sore shoulder -- but kept interested Western rivals from getting to Strickland. Stoudamire will still start, or so they say, but Strickland is still capable of getting into the lane and causing problems for defenses. Of course, he's also capable of getting into trouble and causing greater problems for his own team. That's why in actuality, it could be a brutal move. Like that locker room doesn't have enough issues? But we're just glad the injury problems that seemed to concern Strickland so greatly during the final days in Washington somehow disappeared as soon as he got D.C. in the rearview mirror. When he debuted Tuesday night, it was his first appearance since Jan. 31.
5. Tim Hardaway, Heat. He's consistently hitting the mid- to high-30s in minutes lately, an encouraging sign for Miami. But it will come down to his playoff performance no matter what, just in case anyone was about to forget his recent postseason showings (29.4 percent from the field last season, 26.8 percent the year before). Not having Alonzo Mourning might take a lot of pressure off the Heat to make a serious run to the Finals, but Hardway is still very much on the hook.
6. Darrell Armstrong, Magic. He played great around the all-star break and Orlando took off. Another surge late in the regular season, when playoff positioning will be at stake, and into the playoffs will be critical as offenses slow down to protect every possession. That means it will be easier to run defenders at Tracy McGrady.
7. Derek Fisher, Lakers. He is progressing toward a return to active duty after having been on the injured list all season because of a stress fracture in the right foot. Phil Jackson loves the big backcourts, but there is no question L.A. needs some young legs back there, the way opposing guards have gotten into the lane most all season against Ron Harper and Brian Shaw. Fisher's play against Travis Best was a factor in the championship-series victory over the Pacers last spring and he'll be important again.
8. Nick Van Exel, Nuggets. Denver is fading from the playoff picture, but Nick at Nite also has the ability, and the emotion, to jump start a late kick. And then there's reruns of another kind: as of the start of the week, he'd had at least five turnovers in four of the last six games.
9. Alvin Williams, Raptors. He started some last season, and Toronto was so overwhelmed it signed Jackson to the long-term deal. Now he's the guy again, maybe all the way into the postseason, depending on whether Chris Childs continues to come off the bench. The pressure increases because the Raptors need a good finish to help convince several free agents-to-be to stay.
10. Terry Porter, Spurs. It's more interesting than great pressure because San Antonio still has Avery Johnson and Antonio Daniels behind him. But didn't we all expect Porter to hold down the starting job for 16 consecutive games when Johnson went out? Johnson, meanwhile, was shooting 58.3 percent and averaging 21 minutes off the bench since Feb. 8. Reason, at last, for a team to feel safe at the point. Very safe.
