4. Jason Williams
Jason Williams was a spectacular point guard. He wasn’t the best, the most high-scoring, but he was often the most exciting. His wizardry with his passes was unlike anything we had seen, especially early in his career.
The Heat got Williams later in his career, but took full advantage, pairing him up with a young Dwyane Wade and a veteran Shaquille O’Neal, and eventually winning a championship.
It was 2008 when Williams last played for the Heat. Could a player get away with being nicknamed “White Chocolate” anymore? Williams played with style, flash, and was a Steve Nash University alum, his game based around the art of pace. He effortlessly controlled the tempo of games, and was a threat to randomly put up a 3-pointer in transition. He kept defenses guessing.
Williams came to Miami in 2005 as part of a monsterly five-team trade, the most expansive in NBA history. He joined O’Neal and Wade, becoming the backcourt partner Wade needed to allow him to focus less on setting up his teammates and more on scoring and, eventually, leading the Heat to its first ever championship. (And who could forget Williams hitting 10 consecutive shots against the Pistons in Game 6 of the 2006 Eastern Conference Finals to send Miami to the Finals?)
Williams played just three seasons in Miami, averaging a modest 10.6 points and 4.9 assists per game during his time, but his impact with the Heat shouldn’t be measured by numbers alone.
Rather, we should look more at what he allowed Wade, Shaq, and his other teammates to do to help win the 2006 NBA Finals.
Next: Little Brother