By FRED KERBER
ORLANDO — Sean Williams went to the movies Tuesday morning.
In coach Lawrence Frank’s room.
The film starred Miami Heat stud rookie Michael Beasley, the No. 2 overall pick in the NBA draft. It was a film breakdown of Beasley, including his 28-point, 9-rebound effort against Chicago in the Orlando Pro Summer League Monday, in Williams’ eloquent assessment, Beasley “murdered them dudes.”
So Williams who has flashed brilliantly some times, played aggravatingly sluggish at other times, sought to avoid Beasley’s on-court homicidal tendencies. So he rung up coach Lawrence Frank.
“He called me,” Frank explained. “He took that step from wanting to do it and wanting to see it.”
And the next step basically was across Beasley’s throat. In Miami’s 90-81 win over the Nets, Beasley shot 1-of-13, suffered a bruised left shin and was outplayed from start to finish by Williams who insisted he accomplished exactly what he set out to do – and what he wants to do this season.
“What I want to do every night is play defense first and stop the other team’s best offensive player,” said Kenyon Martin, er, Sean Williams.
Now the key will be bringing the same attitude every game. And there’s something else Williams wants to become.
“A better rebounder,” said Williams who had seven boards that hardly sated him. “I want more, like double figures.”
Go ahead, say the Nets. Want to watch some more film? Look at what his morning film fest with Frank brought about.
“Coach made a point of what he did (Monday) night and so they tried to show us every angle that he likes to take,” Williams explained. “He’s left-handed. I tried to force him to his weak hand and let him know the NBA is aggressive. I didn’t think (Monday) he was touched at all.
“I really took it personal.”
Williams, forcing the lefty Beasley away from his favored side, used his exceptional length and athleticism to confound the rookie — Beasley also had five turnovers. The first time Beasley touched the ball, Williams forced him into a travel. The second and third times, Williams contested jumpers into misses. The fourth time, Beasley’s shot was rejected. And so on. Beasley missed his first 10 shots and didn’t have the foggiest recollection when that happened last. Pretty good defense, huh, Mr. Beasley?
“I guess. It wasn’t exactly my best performance. He played solid defense. I give him credit on that part,” said Beasley.
Some Nets were a tad more generous with their praise.
“Sean played extraordinarily well,” said Net rookie Ryan Anderson. “I don’t know too many guys who could do that on Beasley. He was so athletic and he blocked shots and stayed in front of him. I know that was what coach wanted to do, stick Sean on him and not let him do what he did (Monday).”
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The Nets’ three rookies all are drawing high praise from opponents. Take Ryan Anderson.
“I’ll be honest, I loved the other two (Brook Lopez and Chris Douglas-Roberts) coming here but I’ve been most impressed by Anderson,” said one opposing head coach. “The guy gets into it. I knew he could shoot but he does a lot of other things you appreciate when you see him.”
Of Douglas-Roberts, who struggled yesterday with five points (only took three shots, made two), one veteran assistant said, “He is a scorer. He puts it on the floor, gets to the basket, has a real good feel. I don’t know about his 3-point shot, but he looks good mid-range.”
And about Lopez, another assistant said, “They had to be thrilled getting him 10th. The guy is huge. But I just didn’t know he could shoot it like that. And with range.”
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Nets are not expected to announce any free agent signings today – “We’re just seeing what happens,” said team president Rod Thorn, while admitting “there are some guys we have interest in.”
One target, Michael Pietrus, is bound for Orlando. That will free up Keyon Dooling from Magic and the Nets certainly have had interest in past. Dooling, though, might be looking for longer years than Nets will give.
Figure some names remain on Nets’ radar: Washington’s Roger Mason Jr., Pacer Kareem Rush, Nugget Eduardo Najera.
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Every NBA city has an endearing quality. In Houston for example, residents seem determined to run every stop sign in a 5-mile radius on a daily basis. In Boston, the national pastime is taking as many right turns from the left lane in as soon a time as possible.
But in Orlando, if they don’t kill you with perkiness near DisneyWorld, they will force you into advanced old age with many of their red lights. If you hit a red light that just turned, fear not. You can simply change your oil and rotate your tires before the light changes.
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Interesting moment during Tuesday’s Net-Heat game. With heavy rainstorm that sounded like the RDV Rec Center was inside a wind tunnel, an enormously loud clap of thunder hit. Everyone jumped – except Net trainer Tim Walsh’s 8-year-old son, Stephen, who seemed ho-hum about the noise and Michael Beasley who impressively nailed a free throw.
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Nets Maurice Ager sat out the game with his groin injury.
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Nets holding their press conference today introducing Yi Jianlian and Bobby Simmons at 10 a.m. Event will be carried live on Nets’ website, NJNets.com
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And then there was Mario Chalmers who kinda made Jaycee Carroll’s life a tad miserable.
The Kansas point guard got into the paint at will, got to the rim and gave Carroll fits with his quickness. In fairness to Carroll, he’s better suited as a combo guard, rather than a straight point. Carroll, after scoring 22 points on 7-of-13 shooting Monday, had five points, shot 1-of-6 and had three turnovers.
“He was good, a real solid player,” Carroll said of Chalmers. “Obviously, he was a better defender than I had seen. I wasn’t surprised by anything. He played for the national championship team. What struck me is he was so relaxed, real calm, under control at all times.”
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So the game plan may be for Brook Lopez may be, start him for the second half. On Monday, Lopez had two points at halftime. He finished with 10. Tuesday, he had six points at halftime. Finished with 18.
Do they have an All-NBA Second Half of Game Rookie of the Year? So what’s the deal, what happens at halftime?
“I got the same question all through college,” Lopez said. “I’d have better second halves so it was, ‘Why do we play him in the first half? Sit him, rest him til halftime.’ I think it’s just coincidence.”
Lopez is a willing learned type, Frank says. You can see him making the effort defensively. And his shooting is downright impressive for his size, especially the range.
“Growing up, playing with my three brothers I needed any advantage I could,” Lopez explained. “I’d try to play outside and shoot from there.”
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Anderson is a favorite of many because of his hooting ability – even though he was 6-of-15 Tuesday.
“The first half, I kind of struggled,” Anderson said.
Was 1-of-6. Yup, qualifies as struggling.
“I wasn’t in the game as much as I was in the first game. Coach said we’d be testing different lineups so I struggled a little bit.
“The second half I kind if played my game shot the ball had some wide open looks and knocked them down. I got more rebounds (7) than I did last game (4).
The coaches really wanted me to come out and play with energy and give a spark off the bench.”
Done. Anderson shot 5-of-9, including 4-of-7 beyond arc, and scored 16 after halftime.
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Elsewhere:
Kevin Durant, reigning Rookie of the Year, played for Oklahoma City. Love head coach P.J. Carlesimo’s initial reaction when he heard his franchise guy would play in a summer league game.
“Oh (bleep).”
But Carlesimo came around.
“It’s good that he wants to come down and do all that stuff but on the other hand, there’s risk. But it’s great. He doesn’t need it but it’s a good thing,” P.J. said.
Durant admitted he was bored watching. But more than anything, he was excited by the team that includes Russell Westbrook – and Oklahoma City plays Nets Wednesday (not certain if he’ll play again). At least he’ll have shoes if he does play. He didn’t bring any here and had some shipped overnight
“I like being out there,” said Durant who scored 22 as O.C. crushed Orlando, 100-77. “It was great to play with my new teammates. It’s something I’ve been thinking about since we drafted those guys. I just wanted to come down here and get a game with them and see how they play.”
His thoughts on Westbrook?
“I knew he was a great defensive player, a guy who could get to the basket, but I didn’t know he was that good.”
But didn’t anyone try to discourage him? After all, they kept an oxygen tank and three paramedics near Carlesimo in case Durant stepped on the foot of some guy without vowels in his last name.
“Nah, they know how I am anyway. They were glad I came out to play with the guys. It was fun,” Durant said.
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Westbrook insisted he wasn’t surprised by Durant showing for summer league.
“He’s not a player who can sit and watch. He’s just a kid,” said Westbrook.
Old man Westbrook will be 20 in November – two months after Durant turns 20. They can sit and gum oatmeal together.
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Chalmers on going left (Nets made a concerted effort to force him right in second half): “I like going left. In college that’s all I used to do. I’m just trying to take what the defense gives me.”
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That collective gasp you heard last night came from Bulls execs. Derrick Rose jump-stopped and “jammed” his right knee, the same one that has been plagued by tendonitis. He thinks he’ll play Wednesday. After he was – by own admission – “horrible” in opener – Rose looked infinitely better in Bulls’ 89-84 win over Pacers. He only shot 2-of-9, but had seven assists and reduced turnovers to three (from five). And it was Vinny Del Negro’s first-ever head coaching win.