OKLAHOMA CITY: Derrick Williams spent the hour or so before the Cavaliers’ game Thursday against the Oklahoma City Thunder learning another playbook, getting another crash course in a new team’s system.
He should be used to it by now. The Cavs represent his sixth organization already and Tyronn Lue is the ninth head coach he has played under. Although he’s 25 and in his sixth season, Williams has struggled to find his place in the league. He’s hoping Cleveland is different.
“Since I’ve been in the NBA, I haven’t been on a team with a winning record,” Williams said after signing a 10-day contract with the Cavs. “It’s definitely a different feel every single time. This is my first day, but you can just feel the energy as soon as you step in the locker room. Everyone is ready to play. That’s the championship mentality everyone has here.”
Indeed, Williams’ teams are 171-277 (.381) during his six years. He has played for two of the most dysfunctional teams in the league in the New York Knicks and Sacramento Kings. He left the Knicks to sign with the Miami Heat last summer, then asked for his release a couple of weeks ago because of his lack of playing time. He appeared in about half of the games with the Heat after he was a rotation fixture in New York.
“I didn’t leave New York to sit on the bench in Miami,” said Williams, who was grateful that Heat President Pat Riley granted his request. The Heat released Williams on Monday and by 5 p.m. Wednesday when he cleared waivers, he already knew he was coming to Cleveland.
It’s fair to wonder if Riley would’ve been so accommodating had he known Williams would wind up here. After all, this is the same Pat Riley who a couple years ago nixed two separate, three-team trades at the deadline that ultimately would’ve brought Norris Cole to Cleveland, according to sources. Riley killed both deals when he learned they would help LeBron James and the Cavs.
Regardless, Williams is still only 25 and has a history of being a productive NBA player. He has failed to live up to the lofty billing of the No. 2 overall pick in 2011, one spot behind Kyrie Irving. In fact, there was a debate within the Cavs over whom to take with the top pick: Irving or Williams.
Irving has proven they chose wisely, but Kevin Love, who played with Williams in Minnesota, still believes he can help this team. He scored 12 points in 22 minutes with no practice in his debut against the Thunder.
“I think he’ll tap into some really good habits here,” Love said. “I think he has a good chance to flourish here.”
The Cavs now have three of the top four picks from the 2011 draft, but where Williams was once viewed as a franchise savior with the Minnesota Timberwolves, now he’s just another face on a 10-day contract with an excellent chance of sticking around for the rest of the season.
The Cavs have been looking for young talent they can develop and at 25, Williams certainly qualifies. They passed on the chance to sign 26-year-old Lance Stevenson after working him out recently, Stevenson instead signed a 10-day deal with the Timberwolves and now Williams is in Cleveland.
“I’m still learning, man,” Williams said. “A lot of people in this league really get counted out way too early. I have a lot of game left.”
Jason Lloyd can be reached at jlloyd@thebeaconjournal.com. Read the Cavs blog at www.ohio.com/cavs. Follow him on Twitter www.twitter.com/JasonLloydABJ.