On Nov. 28 in Detroit, Shawne Williams made his season debut, and through the past two months became the Knicks’ most startling revelation.
Williams won’t play the rematch tonight against the Pistons at the Garden after being suspended one game by the NBA for throwing a punch at the Hawks’ Marvin Williams in the final minute of their 111-102 loss in Atlanta Friday night. It was a chilling reminder the formerly troubled Pacer still has demons inside him that could derail this wonderful comeback story.
The NBA went easy on Williams yesterday but won’t the next time. Marvin Williams, who threw the first punch and instigating the fight by initially bumping the Knicks forward, was suspended two games.
Knicks president Donne Walsh drafted Williams in the first round for the Pacers in 2006 and gave him another shot at redemption in training camp when nobody in the league would touch him. Walsh talked to the Knicks’ bad boy after yesterday’s practice and seemed concerned.
“I think in retrospect he’s better off just letting it go,” Walsh said. “That’s hard for anybody, walking down the street and someone smacks you in the back of the head. But you really should just let it go. I’ve already talked to him about it. You can’t win. So walk away.”
Williams nearly ruined his career because of multiple marijuana and gun-possession arrests.
“I’m not going to make judgments on Shawne,” Walsh said. “Those are explosions. I would prefer nobody on our team is in an incident like that because it puts the league in position to make a decision and judgment.”
Williams has added a toughness to the Knicks, but the scene of him cocking his fists and throwing at least one punch was alarming. Worse, after being separated, he continued hopping up and down, fists still clenched, and could have incited a brawl.
With Williams’ checkered resume, there was no excuse for the thuggish behavior, no matter who started it. The Knicks are already banged up; Wilson Chandler has a sore calf and missed Friday’s game, forcing Williams to make his second start. Amar’e Stoudemire has a slightly sprained knee, though coach Mike D’Antoni thinks he will play tonight.
“That was the biggest disappointment to me — I let the team and organization down,” Williams said before learning the length of the suspension, “because we’re down players now and fighting to stay over .500. Philly and Charlotte are playing good. That’s really wearing on me because I feel the team needs me. I feel I can help the team win.”
Williams was interviewed by the NBA Office yesterday.
“They heard my side of the story,” Williams said. “I’m a professional basketball player . . . sometimes stuff gets heated.”
Williams had another on-court incident in mid-November during a Knicks practice in San Francisco. As reported in The Post, Williams went after teammate Bill Walker during a scrimmage after Walker tackled him on a drive. Williams needed to be restrained for nearly 30 seconds. The players laughed it off afterward.
“It’s a typical NBA altercation,” Walsh said. “There’s a whole lot of swinging going on. And I couldn’t tell what Shawne did or didn’t do. I accept whatever the league does. I was glad nobody got off the bench.”