The Window is Closing on Marvin Williams

The point has been beaten to death: The Hawks should have drafted Chris Paul or Deron Williams instead of Marvin Williams. It's almost as if Marvin's middle name is Chrispaulorderonwilliams. I've always been one of Marvin's biggest supporters. He's a nice guy and got a bad rap because he wasn't developing into a star as quickly as Paul or Deron Williams. Marvin is just 21 and in his third year as a pro. He missed a quarter of his second season with a broken hand. Still, in his third year he was expected to take the next jump and it looked as if that was going to happen.

Through January Marvin only had one game in which he scored fewer than 10 points. Not even All-Star Joe Johnson could boast that claim. However Marvin's points per game dipped from 16.7 in January to 11.7 in February. He's inched that number up to 12.0 in March. Furthermore, it looks like his confidence has decreased over the past couple of months. He had a dreadful February shooting barely 35 percent from the floor. He tenses up in late game situations and is a turnover machine in the 4th quarter of tight ball games.

The knock on Marvin was never his skill level. There were some people who were concerned with his work ethic. I can't speak for him so I can't criticize him for that, but it is hanging over head. He needs to get stronger to become more of a force on the glass. He's an ok rebounder, but for a guy that big and athletic he should be a better rebounder. He's got a good mid-range game, but he's not a three point shooter and he doesn't really have any post moves either.

Is it fair to hold Marvin up against the standards set by other players in the draft? Well, when Chris Paul averages 25 points and nearly 13 assists per game in March while trying to push his team to the top seed in the brutal Western Conference, it's unfortunate, but fair to compare.

With 12 games to go and the Hawks clinging to the 8th playoff spot in the East the onus is on Marvin Williams to make an impact. The Hawks need someone to help take the pressure off Joe Johnson late in games and it's time for Marvin to make his impact. If he can't do it, the Hawks need to seriously pursue a trade this offseason.