After nearly being out of the league, Heat forward Shawne Williams is making the most out of the playing time that he’s earned this season, Shandel Richardson of The Sun Sentinel writes. “Man, one thing I noticed about being in this league is you can never be too comfortable,” Williams said. “I’m kind of always on edge. This business is a tricky business. I’ve learned from a lot of stuff that I’ve been through and a lot of stuff that I have been in to never be comfortable. I’m never satisfied. I’m going to stay hungry.” Through Miami’s first 15 games Williams is averaging 10.5 points and draining 50.7% of his three-point shots.
Here’s more from the east:
- Hassan Whiteside’s two-year deal with the Heat includes a partial guarantee of $100K for this season, but the second year includes no guaranteed salary, Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders reports (Twitter link).
- If the Knicks aren’t careful in managing Carmelo Anthony‘s back spasms, they could put their star at risk for further back issues later in the season, Ian Begeley of ESPNNewYork.com writes. “He [Anthony] can wind up battling this all season if it’s not shut down appropriately to let him heal up,” Dr. Neil Roth, an orthopedic surgeon specializing in sports medicine told Begley.
- The Nets haven’t notched a victory against a team with a winning record this season, notes Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News. “I look at a win as a win,” head coach Lionel Hollins said. “The quality wins are the ones you get on the road. It’s nice to beat good teams, but we have to get to that level where we are consistently able to beat good teams. So we’re just taking wins where we can. That’s what it’s about — trying to win and get in the playoffs, and then when you get there, trying to hopefully get a matchup that favors you.”