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Derrick Williams News & Rumors

Derrick Williams career high 27, Beasley spark Wolves
February 29
Minneapolis Star Tribune
 
"Timberwolves forward Derrick Williams returned to Los Angeles on Tuesday night and really looked at home for the first time during his rookie season in a 109-97 victory over the Clippers at Staples Center. Six days and one game after he gave a glimpse of his emergence by playing the entire fourth quarter against Utah, Williams delivered the performance of his young career against the Clippers by scoring a career-high 27 points in 28 minutes. He made nine of 10 shots -- including all four three-pointers he attempted ---in a performance that teammate Michael Beasley matched step by step. Like Williams, Beasley also scored 27 points. Like Williams, he also scored 13 points in the fourth"
Timberwolves' Derrick Williams to compete in slam dunk contest
February 16
St. Paul Pioneer Press
 
"Minnesota Timberwolves rookie forward Derrick Williams will be among four participants in the NBA's Slam Dunk contest during All-Star Weekend on Feb. 25-26 in Orlando, the team announced this morning. Williams, the No.. 2 overall pick in the 2011 draft, will be joined by Chase Budinger of the Houston Rockets, Paul George of the Indiana Pacers and Iman Shumpert of the New York Knicks. The slam dunk contest, part of the league's All-Star Saturday events, is scheduled for Feb. 25 at Orlando's Amway Center."
Williams able to share some good news with family
February 9
Minneapolis Star Tribune
 
"It was a pretty good day to be Derrick Williams Wednesday. Williams and fellow rookie teammate Ricky Rubio were named to the Rising Stars Challenge game over All-Star Weekend. Later that night, Williams got his second start -- against the Grizzlies -- with Kevin Love serving the second and last game of his suspension. Williams finished with 13 points and nine rebounds. In attendance at FedEx Forum to watch him play? About 20 members of his extended family, including his grandfather, L.G. Moore. This was a pretty big deal. Moore, who grew up in Winstonville, Miss., never had seen Williams play in person. He'd been able to watch Williams on YouTube at times. Williams' mom (and L.G.'s"
Williams waiting for a chance to roar
February 7
Minneapolis Star Tribune
 
"Derrick Williams tweeted a seven-word message Saturday night that didn't require too much effort reading between the lines. "Anybody ever felt like a caged lion?" the Timberwolves rookie wrote. Williams smiled when asked after Monday's practice if it's time for the lion to be released with Kevin Love set to begin his two-game suspension for planting his size-19 shoe on Houston's Luis Scola's chest and head. "That's funny," Williams said in a tone that suggested he didn't find it funny at all. "That's why you guys are here. I've been ready. I just want to get out there and play a little bit more. I think everybody does. But at the same time, I can't do nothing about that. It's not my"
Timberwolves' Love, Rubio, Williams rate high in survey by NBA GMs
January 18
St. Paul Pioneer Press
 
"Minnesota Timberwolves forward Kevin Love is rated the NBA's best offensive rebounder and teammate Ricky Rubio is rated the NBA's third-best passer, according to a survey of the league's 30 general managers released today by NBA.com. The results for Love and Rubio were among several highlights for the Timberwolves in the survey conducted by NBA.com, including Rubio voted as the NBA's top international player to have a breakout season in 2011-12. Rubio, averaging 10.8 points and 8.3 assists (eighth in the league), was voted the third-best passer with 11.1 percent of the votes behind Chris Paul (40.7 percent) of the Los Angeles Clippers and Steve Nash (37.0 percent) of the Phoenix Suns."
Adelman seeks playing time for Williams
January 11
Minneapolis Star Tribune
 
"Timberwolves coach Rick Adelman decided after consecutive home losses last week to Memphis and Cleveland that he simply needs to get rookie Derrick Williams more playing time. The question is: Just how will he do that every night? So far, Adelman is figuring out a way, given that he still wants to play Williams mostly at a power forward spot already largely occupied by Kevin Love. Williams played 30 minutes at Washington on Sunday, 28 minutes at Toronto on Monday and 22 more minutes in Tuesday's 111-100 loss to Chicago. He is developing an on-court relationship coming off the bench with fellow rookie Ricky Rubio. You can see evidence of their growing familiarity just about nightly on the"
Derrick Williams not upset Cavs didn't select him No. 1 overall in draft
January 7
Akron Beacon Journal
 
"Derrick Williams appeared at the NBA combine in May adamant he was the best player in the draft and deserved to be selected No. 1 overall. Eight months later, he's happy to be part of the Minnesota Timberwolves. "No. 1 and No. 2 are virtually the same," Williams said. "I think this draft was more of what each team needed. Before there was a clear-cut No. 1 pick like John Wall, Blake Griffin, LeBron and all these guys. This year's draft was about additions to teams that were already pretty good and just trying to win more games than last year." The Cavs and Timberwolves, who held the top two picks, won a combined 36 games last season. Since the Cavs didn't tell Kyrie Irving or his agent"
Young guns square off as Timberwolves' Derrick Williams takes on Cavs' Kyrie Irving
January 6
St. Paul Pioneer Press
 
"Kyrie Irving has the burden of replacing the legacy LeBron James abandoned in Cleveland. Derrick Williams is merely trying to make the most of his opportunities behind two talented forwards - one an all-star, the other a former No. 2 draft pick himself. Though Williams admits he would like to play more in his rookie season with the Timberwolves, he wouldn't trade places with Irving, the No. 1 pick in the 2011 NBA draft. "There's more pressure on Kyrie, but I feel he's doing a great job and getting a lot of minutes," said Williams, the No. 2 pick in the draft. "Overall, his team is a lot better with him. We both ended up in the right spots." In the years to come, Irving and Williams will be"
Top picks Kyrie Irving, Derrick Williams reunite Friday
January 6
Akron Beacon Journal
 
"When the Cavaliers face the Minnesota Timberwolves tonight at Target Center, rookies Kyrie Irving and Derrick Williams will be on the same court for the first time since the NCAA Tournament. That's the night Williams dazzled with a 32-point performance in Arizona's win over Irving's Duke Blue Devils in the Sweet 16. That game propelled Williams next to Irving as the top two players available in the draft. Irving spent the summer dismissing the importance of being selected No. 1, and Williams embraced the idea and insisted he was the best player available. Irving downplayed any comparisons between he and departed Cavs star LeBron James, and Williams welcomed them and said he had the most"
Wolves' Williams driven to be great
December 21
Minneapolis Star Tribune
 
"The opening shot, in black and white, is of an empty outdoor basketball court, lined with palm trees, wet with rain. The camera moves toward the high school, then into the gym at La Mirada High School, and Derrick Williams is there. Cue the color, Williams' red T-shirt popping. Then his voice-over: "I didn't grow up in a broken home or a bad part of town. I don't have a rap demo. I grew up in a nice neighborhood, with food on the table. And three years ago I was a nobody." It's a commercial, of course, for Under Armour. There will be more. That's what happens when a fellow is the second pick in the NBA draft, by the Timberwolves out of the University of Arizona. Commercials, endorsements,"
Timberwolves' No. 1 pick Williams might play overseas if lockout isn't settled
October 10
St. Paul Pioneer Press
 
"Minnesota Timberwolves rookie Derrick Williams, the No. 2 overall pick in this year's NBA draft, said he will attempt to sign with a professional team overseas if the NBA lockout does not end "within the next week or so." "I'm really going to be looking into it," Williams told GoAZCats.com, a website that covers University of Arizona sports, about his intentions to play overseas if the lockout continues. "I think that's the Plan B, especially at this point." NBA players might learn today if NBA commissioner David Stern follows through on plans to eliminate the first two weeks of the regular season if no significant progress is made in talks today in New York. The 2011-12 regular season is"
Derrick Williams signs with Under Armour
July 21
CBSSports.com
 
"2011 has definitely been a huge step forward for Under Armour as a basketball brand. Coming into the draft, Under Armour had only Brandon Jennings and Greivis Vasquez in their stable. They added Kemba Walker soon after the draft for a huge addition, the first major "star" coming into the league (without having played a game, of course). Walker's a named name. Now they've added a new one as the brand announced today that they have added the No.2 overall pick in the draft, Derrick Williams, to its stable. From an Under Armour press release: "Derrick had a terrific college career and emerged as an absolute force on the sport's biggest stage," said Matt Mirchin, Senior Vice President of"
Derrick Williams ready to help community as well as Timberwolves
July 8
St. Paul Pioneer Press
 
"Ryan Kelly had just placed his order inside Tam's Burgers, a popular fast-food outlet in La Mirada, Calif., when he noticed his best friend, Derrick Williams, was not standing in line behind him. Kelly and Williams, freshmen at La Mirada High School, had made plans earlier in the day to go to Tam's after their last class, so they hurried down Adelfa Drive and Santa Gertrudes Avenue to enjoy one of their favorite burgers. "I could see it in his eyes as we were walking that he was anxious to get there," Kelly said of Williams. That's why Kelly was surprised when he turned around and didn't see Williams in line. He knew Williams was hungry and couldn't wait to spend the "$7 and change""
Logical No. 2 pick gets lost in an ocean of franchise turmoil
June 24
Minneapolis Star Tribune
 columnist Jim Souhan
"Congratulations, Timberwolves fans. Your team leads the league in intrigue. David Kahn's Wolves are masters of machination. This week they retained the title, by knockout, as the most interesting bad team in the world. Thursday night, the Wolves made the correct choice, using the second pick in the draft on Arizona forward Derrick Williams. They also added UCLA guard Malcolm Lee, and traded for veteran center Brad Miller. That's an excellent draft, and Kahn vowed to keep Williams, another good decision. He also said the team will have to be "creative" in playing a handful of forwards on the same team. That's where the Wolves and Kahn get into trouble, when they think too much. For most"
This much is clear: Williams is on his way
June 24
Minneapolis Star Tribune
 
"The Timberwolves selected Arizona forward Derrick Williams with the second pick in Thursday night's NBA draft and vowed to keep him. It was the most obvious, simple, sensible decision they could have made. After that? Hang on to your flying hat. Outfitted with the 20th pick as well Thursday, the Wolves traded down repeatedly; dealt away point guard Jonny Flynn; raised cash by selling two second-round picks they acquired; bought another; and completed a total of six trades that left their fans exhausted by all the maneuvering and left them with Williams, UCLA guard Malcolm Lee, veteran center Brad Miller, an obscure prospect from Congo named Targuy Ngombo, Memphis' protected 2013"
Timberwolves draft Derrick Williams, trade Jonny Flynn to Houston in deal for Brad Miller
June 24
St. Paul Pioneer Press
 
"In the few minutes that Timberwolves president of basketball operations David Kahn talked to the media Thursday night near the end of the NBA draft, he was very clear on two subjects: He would take no questions on coach Kurt Rambis, and Arizona forward Derrick Williams, the player he chose with the No. 2 pick, will not be used to swing a trade. "We did not draft Williams to put him in a deal," Kahn said. "He's staying." As for Rambis, already fired according to reports that surfaced Wednesday night, Kahn said, "There is no news to share on the process." Kahn also did not clarify a number of potential trades the Wolves reportedly made Thursday night, including one deal that sent point guard"