By John Denton – OrlandoMagic.com

White Chocolate Now Old Faithful

By John Denton – OrlandoMagic.com
January 12, 2010

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Incredibly, White Chocolate has morphed into Old Faithful.

Jason Williams, who hit the NBA 11 seasons ago as a flashy, daring point guard who wasn’t afraid to try any sort of pass or shot, has remarkably become a steady, trustworthy playmaker for the Orlando Magic. The fans in Sacramento, where Williams first took the league by storm back in 1998 and dubbed him White Chocolate for his ability to inject some soul into the game, might not even recognize the point guard today who now values possessions and is a model of consistency.

Williams ranking third in the NBA in assist-to-turnover ratio (4.0 assists for every turnover) is akin to Brett Favre leading the NFL in quarterback efficiency or Ichiro Suzuki leading Major League Baseball in home runs. But Williams, now 34, has changed personality and his game to fit his surroundings in Orlando. At this stage in his career, he’s still around for just one singular reason.

``It comes with the territory of where you are in your career and how your team plays,’’ Williams said at ARCO Arena, site of Tuesday night’s game between the Magic and Kings. ``Now, it’s all about trying to win a championship, and whatever it takes to get that done, that’s what I need to do.’’

What Williams has done this season is become a reliable fallback option for a Magic team that has had to deal with Jameer Nelson’s lingering soreness following arthroscopic surgery. He’s been equal parts brilliant and steady, giving the Magic a lift on nights when Nelson has struggled or been ineffective.

That has come as a shock to some after Williams sat out all of last season. Just two months after signing a free-agent contract with the Los Angeles Clippers in the summer of 2008, Williams abruptly retired to spend more time with his wife, who endured a troubled pregnancy. Both wife, Denika, and 8-month-old daughter, Nina, are both fine now, allowing Williams to return to the NBA this season with the Magic.

And thus far he’s played like a veteran who is treasuring every second on the court. Being away revitalized Williams, who has impressed the Magic with his high level of energy and playmaking through 37 games.

``It took him a little while to get back into it and get it back, but his efficiency has been outstanding. He’s not turning the ball over and he’s shot the ball better than I would have thought,’’ Magic coach Stan Van Gundy admitted. ``But he’s playing around other quality people and a big man (in Dwight Howard) where he’s getting quality shots. He’s been phenomenal, but I can’t say that I’m surprised by it.’’

In a season beset by injuries, illness and suspension so far, Williams is one of just four Magic players to play in all 37 games. His numbers – 7.1 points and 4.2 assists – are more than the Magic could have ever hoped for in 23.6 minutes a game. He’s shooting 44.7 percent from the floor and 41.7 percent from 3-point range. And he’s turning the ball over just once a game on average.

The once, wild, somewhat out of control Williams has been a model of consistency for the Magic.

``It’s still just basketball and if you play the game the right way and you are surrounded by great players, it just makes your job a lot easier,’’ Williams said.

He’s made life somewhat easier for the Magic’s struggling offense with some performances where he’s poured in points in bunches. He had 14 points on Saturday against Atlanta – all of them coming in a second-quarter explosion.

There was a 16-point, seven-assist performance against Milwaukee in which he made all five of his 3-point shots. He had another 16 in early December when L.A. Clippers fans booed him relentlessly. And there was the spectacular 25-point night earlier this season against Miami that showed every one that Williams still has plenty of pep in his step.

But Williams said he’s beyond trying to prove anything to anybody now. His only mission is to get a second championship ring to pair with the one he won in Miami with the Heat. He thinks this Magic team is more talented than that Miami squad, but has yet to live up to its full potential.

``I just think sometimes we think we can show up and win, but teams are coming at us with all they’ve got,’’ he said. ``We’re Eastern Conference champs, we have some superstars and all-stars and people are coming for us.’’

As for Williams long-term future, he sounds like a person who still enjoys playing and hopes to stick around the Magic long beyond this season.

``I’m just trying to get through this year,’’ he said with a laugh. ``I love playing, so we’ll talk about that in the summer time.’’

With the start of the NBA playoffs just two weeks away, Pietrus has shown signs of late of sharpening his focus, tightening up his shot and once again becoming the player that he was last spring when he helped the Magic to the NBA Finals.

The 53-23 Magic, who host the Memphis Grizzlies Sunday night at Amway Arena, split their Texas two-step in Dallas and San Antonio, but the big find on the roadtrip was Pietrus’ 3-point shot. In the big win against the Mavericks, Pietrus made seven of eight shots and all six of his 3-point shots en route to a season-high 24 points. And he was one of the true bright spots in Friday’s loss to San Antonio, hitting another seven of nine shots and two 3-pointers for 18 more points.

For Pietrus, it’s reminiscent of the scorching run he went on during the playoffs last spring. He said he realizes that now is the time for him to elevate the level of his play in order to help the Magic make another deep playoff run.

``I just have a great feeling now and I know that I can help my team with my play,’’ Pietrus said. ``Going into the playoffs, I’m trying to get my game right. This is the time we play for.’’

Dwight Howard and Rashard Lewis were obviously the Magic’s headliners last season during the run to the Finals, but Pietrus also made a made a name for himself as a gritty, clutch player. He bounced back from an injury-filled first season in Orlando and lived up to the four-year, $24 million contract that general manager Otis Smith awarded him prior to last season.

Against Boston in the second round of the playoffs, Pietrus averaged 12.1 points a game, hit 10 3-pointers in the seven games and locked down Celtics’ star small forward Paul Pierce. And he was even better in the Eastern Conference Finals against the Cleveland Cavaliers. He averaged 13.8 points in that six-game series while making a staggering 17 of 36 3-point shots. And in The NBA Finals against the Los Angeles Lakers, Pietrus helped give the Magic another offensive weapon by scoring 10.6 points a game.

``After Joakim Noah, he’s my second favorite player in the league,’’ TNT analyst Charles Barkley said of Pietrus on Thursday night. ``I never realized what a hell of a player he was until the (Eastern) Conference Finals last year. He’s great defensively and he loves guarding LeBron (James) and those guys. He guards the best player every night. He’s a terrific three-point shooter and maybe the most underrated player in the NBA.’’

Pietrus’ strong play in Texas was somewhat surprising considering that he was coming off missing the previous two games because of a badly sprained ankle. He hurt the ankle twice in the past month, and before the Dallas game he seemed unsure of even playing because of lingering weakness in the ankle. But, not surprisingly, that pain disappeared when Pietrus started raining in one 3-pointer after another.

``It’s great to see M.P. playing like he is now because he’s such a big part of our team,’’ Magic point guard Jameer Nelson said. ``We have a lot of weapons on this team and he’s one of the weapons. He’s out there shooting the ball with confidence and just playing really free.’’

The happy-go-lucky Pietrus could certainly be described as a free spirit, but there’s no questioning his determined focus late in the season. He made an impression on Smith back in 2007 when he played extremely well in the playoffs for the Golden State Warriors when they shocked the top-seeded Mavericks in the first round of the playoffs.

And thriving last spring and helping Orlando get to the NBA Finals was the crowning achievement of his career, Pietrus said. Now, there’s only one thing left to do this postseason – win a NBA championship for the Magic.

``Next week will be our time to start the playoffs and try to win that championship, so I’m doing everything I can now to help my team,’’ Pietrus said. ``We have a lot of guys on this team who have been in the playoffs and deep in the playoffs and it’s time for us to combine all of that experience and go win a championship.’’