Did he ever think that these last few weeks were possible when he was running the steps at Chicago’s United Center on Dec. 8 as punishment for sleeping through the bus for shootaround?
“At that point, what was going through my mind was, ‘Don’t fall,’ ” the Nets rookie wing said, reaching more for humor than metaphor. “But I saw with the NBA, especially with the regular season, it’s up and down. If you continue to play and keep your head up — and I definitely did – it all works out fine.”
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Now look at his résumé:
* A triple-double against Chicago.
* A career-high 14 assists against New Orleans.
* A 10-game stretch in which he averaged 16.1 points (.453 shooting), 6.9 rebounds and 6.3 assists.
* And, in an appropriate sendoff, the Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month award, which he received from the NBA Thursday.
Williams won’t make the All-Rookie teams, if exit polls taken from voters around the country are accurate. But he was one of the top newcomers in the league since March began, finding his niche as a point-forward and leading the Nets to one of their most gratifying stretches of a dismal season (12-70) that ended Wednesday in Miami.
“In the last month Terrence has shown some real good things for the future. For someone who didn’t distinguish himself over the first three-quarters, it’s impressive,” team president Rod Thorn said.
“And the good thing is, he’s just scratching the surface of his potential.”
Or, as Charlotte coach Larry Brown put it in a hyperbolic moment Monday night, “The Nets can beat anybody now that Terrence Williams is playing like he is playing.”
“Now it’s like I see through two different eyes. I have the same eyes, but the game moves at a slower pace. I kind of dictate what goes on when the ball’s in my hand, instead of sitting in the corner and shooting the ball — that’s not really my game.”
His future, clearly, is as a playmaker because of his advanced court vision. He may not be a point guard, but he is an all-around weapon that can run an offense. But oddly, his future may be as a reserve, so that he can be plugged into one of three positions. That’s a decision for the next coach.
“What he needs to do now is, number one, improve his shot,” Thorn said. “He is going to work hard on it this summer: Be a good open jump shooter, because he gets all kinds of open shots.
“And Terrence should be a top-flight defensive player with his athletic ability, his toughness, and his lateral movement. He needs to improve in that area as he goes along. If he improves those two things, there’s no ceiling. Whether he starts or comes off the bench, it doesn’t matter — he’ll play significant minutes, and he’ll be an important player on a very good team.”
can this really happen? 
