When the New York Knicks signed 24-year-old forward Derrick Williams to a 2-year deal worth $10 million this summer, expectations weren’t particularly high.
Williams, since being drafted 2nd overall in 2011, he has largely been viewed as a bust. This season for the Knicks, Williams hasn’t exactly set the world on fire. He’s averaging 8.6 points and 3.5 rebounds per game — pretty in-line with his career stats. However, he has averaged those same numbers in significantly less playing time(16.5 minutes per game).
Williams has shown flashes of brilliance, most notably his 31-point outing in January against the Nets. Despite flashes such as this one, Williams’ all-around play has been less than inspiring, and he’s been seeing more of the bench than the court recently. Williams played just 4 minutes against Boston in the Knicks’ most recent game.
Knicks President Phil Jackson reportedly has faith in Williams, and believes that he’ll be in New York for the long haul. From the New York Post’s Marc Berman:
A source close to Jackson said the Zen Master looks at the 24-year-old Williams as part of the future — a young bench guy he is happy to carry on with at that price.
Given the inconsistent minutes he’s received this season, who knows if Williams will be receptive to remaining in New York? He can opt out of his contract this summer if he so desires.
