July 14th: "Shammond Williams Introduced to the Media"

[Phil]

Making a Point
New Laker getting second chance at NBA



12:26 AM PDT on Friday, July 14, 2006
By BRODERICK TURNER
The Press-Enterprise



EL SEGUNDO - Shammond Williams knows what the perception of him has been: a shooting guard "in a point guard's body."

Perceptions die hard.

Williams is back in the NBA after playing two seasons in Europe, seeking to prove those perceptions wrong after signing a one-year, $1.75 million contract with the Lakers on Wednesday.

At 6-foot-1, Williams fits the point guard mold. However, in six NBA seasons, Williams was known for shooting first and passing second -- even to Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak.

Williams, 31, said he asked Kupchak how his game had evolved from earlier in his career, when he played with six NBA teams.

"Mitch made the statement that 'I think that you look to involve your teammates a little more,' " Williams said Thursday at his introductory news conference.

[Phil]

Lakers: Back to the U.S. for Williams
Guard lands with L.A. after stint in Europe
BY ROSS SILER, Staff Writer



EL SEGUNDO - The one thing Shammond Williams wasn't going to do was stick around the NBA just for the sake of sticking around. He already had played for six teams in six seasons when he decided his worth was something more than a minimum contract.
Instead, Williams headed to Europe, with an open mind as to what basketball could bring. His first stop was with the Russian club Unics Kazan, followed by a season with FC Barcelona, where he helped lead his team to the Euroleague Final Four.

"My choice to go to Europe was my decision," Williams said. "It wasn't like I couldn't have gotten an NBA job. It's not like I didn't have any offers. I was at a point in my career where I had participated and played for a few teams, and I never had the opportunity just to challenge myself as a basketball player.

"There were times where I would start. There were times where I didn't play. I think there comes a time in your career where you want to see where you are. Being in different situations, and not being given the opportunity to be what you want to be or become, it can sort of take the love of the game away from you."

[Phil]

Lakers' Bynum far from filling big shoes

Doug Krikorian
Staff columnist



I ventured out Wednesday afternoon to the Walter Pyramid to watch the future of the Los Angeles Lakers, and, oh, is it filled with heartache and disappointment.
The future, of course, is the 18-year-old 7 footer Andrew Bynum, drafted No. 1 a year ago by the Lakers and counted on by Jerry Buss and Mitch Kupchak to become part of the team's sacred lineage of superstar big men that includes George Mikan, Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Shaquille O'Neal.

Well, at this painful moment, Mr. Bynum is closer to resembling Tatum O'Neal on a basketball court than Shaquille O'Neal.

At least he was during his team's Wednesday's match against the Dallas Mavericks in which (a) he missed 6 of 7 shots, (b) he had two blocked by a 6-9 forward from Texas named Brian Boddicker, (c) he scored two points in 33 minutes, (d) he fumbled several passes out of bounds, (e) he seemed to be in a semi-comatose state and (f) he was the second tallest spectator in the building behind 7-3 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

Other than that, Andrew Bynum looked, well, about as disinterested in the proceedings as were some of the snoozing infants in the stands.

"What is your assessment of Bynum's lame performance?" I asked the Lakers coach, Kurt Rambis.