Marvin Williams the X-Factor In Our Playoff Push

[BusBoyIsBack]

About a month ago I started a thread asking if Smoove is officially a 20/10 guy. If he isn't he's mighty close and I don't think I can no longer call him an X-factor.

He has clearly emerged as the 2nd scorer on this team and I have so much respect for him now because of it, I almost expect that production from him just like you expect it from JJ.

Now it's all about that third guy. I asked myself who would have to step up their game? Big Z? Childress off the bench?

No it's pretty clear to me that the guy that our playoff hopes may depend on is Marvin.

After all, his progression along with Smoove should ultimately determine the future that this team is headed in and how close we get to a title when they reach their prime.

So it makes sense for his production right now to ultimately be the difference in how we finish this tough month and the final weeks of the season.

If he can score at least 12-14 per night we are in good shape. If he can score 15-20 then we will pretty much be guaranteed a playoff berth if he gets that type of production alongside a producing Smoove and JJ.

[vdunkndunk]

I agree that Marvin is a pretty big X factor for us...and to get even more specific, I say it all comes down to whether he's hitting his jumpshot.

When he's nailing his jumpshots he really opens up the floor for us and gives us somewhere to go when JJ is getting double teamed. He always gets opportunities like he did last night...the shots are always there for him...and if he hits him like he did last night we can be a pretty dangerous team.

[vdunkndunk]

By the way, we are now only 4.5 games behind both Orlando and the Heat. And they are both dropping like stones.

So a playoff push would not be impossible, although we'd have to overtake New Jersey, New York, Orlando, and the Heat to get it done.

[gsuteke]

Marvin was the 2nd pick in the draft for a reason. he's got some mad skills. quite frankly it's time for this team to put up or shut up.

[Plastic Man]

good post. i agree with everything you said. i'll add to it his FT shooting. not only does he have a knack for getting to the line, he consistently knocks down the free throws, even in crunch time. this is something we desperately need.

[greg__7]

I like the way Marvin has been playing lately....if he is having a off shooting night, seems like he going to the line 4-5 times and getting his points there...if he stroking it, then hes putting up 15-20 pts. HOpe he and Smooth and Chillz continue to develop like they have this year.

[KB21]

Post All Star break, Marvin has been playing well. Granted, it's a small sample size of games, but he's averaging 16.0 PPG, 5.0 RPG, 3.0 APG, and is shooting 45.5% from the floor in his last three games.

[bonethugz]

talking about his free throw, i think he seems to get a lot of respect from the refs. the guy is only a second year player but he consistenly getting to the line. i just check his stat and seeing he went to the line 152 times playing only 1220 minutes. i just find it, suprising.

[TheNorthCydeRises]

I use that date, because that's the day that Smoove came back from injury, and the team started playing better. Here are some stats of note since that day:

- As a team, we're 12 - 10 overall

- When JJ scores 25 points or less, we're 3 - 6 . . when he goes for 30 or more points we're 7 - 1

- When Smoove scores 21 points or more, we're 5 - 1

- When Marvin scores 12 points or less, we're 9 - 4

- When JJ, Smoove, Marvin and Childress score a combined 70 or more points, we're 7 - 2.

Not to defeat the purpose of the thread, but I think Marvin having a good game points wise, isn't the issue. I think Marvin needs to just come up big when asked to, even if he's struggling with his shot. That could either be on the offensive or defensive ends of the floor.

Fact is . . we usually don't win, unless JJ is playing at all-star level, no matter how everyone else is playing. He really has to look to score 30 every night, until the rest of this team can provide him and the team with additional scoring help. That help may come in the form of Lue or AJ. But as Bus said, it can also come in the form of Marvin upping his game to that 17 - 20 per night level. Until that time comes, JJ needs to take good shots, and shoot often.

I think Walter, about a few weeks ago, made the correlation that Smoove and Marvin hardly ever play a good game together. And that's true for the most part. Fortunately, Childress usually steps up his game, whenever Marvin or Smoove are struggling. But when all 4 guys ( JJ, Smoove, Chill, and Marvin ) are playing well, this team is tough to beat . . even without a PG or a C.

One thing about this team is this . . players need to be willing to defer to the other guy, if he's not necessarily playing well . . unless his name is JJ. I say that, because JJ is the one guy on this team that can start a game 1 - 5 . . 2 - 8 . . but hit his next 5 or 6 shots in a row. No one else on this team can do that.

So if Smoove starts a game out 2 - 9, like in the San Antonio game, I want to see him defer more to others and try to get them easy looks, instead of forcing bad shots that he can't make. Same goes for Marvin and Chill. Only JJ should have the green light on this team.

[thesheedera]

Great post, and you're right. It's not that the team plays better when Marvin plays poorly, it's that he has some big games when other guys are off and the team is losing. I think he's still deferring too much to JJ and Josh, especially when they're playing well. When they're playing poorly, he gets more opportunities to make plays.

Last night was a case of all three playing beautifully together. They really looked like a complete unit that was pieced together with a purpose. The sun shines on a dog's ass every now and then, right?

[Guest Walter]

Quote:

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- When Marvin scores 12 points or less, we're 9 - 4

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It was an understated position before MW's was drafted. Many stressed the redundancy of MW in terms of position. However, JJ, JS, and he, while technically playing different positions, also share in many of the same scoring opportunities. Only one can score at a time and they all generally get the ball in the same spot on the perimeter.

It would be very nice to have a player that could score in a vastly different way than these 3. A post player or even a Pg that could score.

W