What’s up guys!? It’s the offseason and I’m enjoying my time off.

I’ve just been at my Mom’s house watching Everybody Hates Chris and playing with my little cousins. This is the first time I’ve been home in Seattle where I can just relax and stay here for a period of time. In college, I could only be here for a little bit and then would have to go back to school.

Most of the time me and the fam’ just chill at home. I have a movie theater in my house and they come over and watch movies and we chill like that. Nate Robinson’s mom was over here until about 4 a.m. on Sunday. I’m close with his entire family, so we all like one big family. My mom came over and cooked for everyone, and that was the first time in a while that I had my mom over to cook. She made me soft beef tacos. Those are the best.

I’m also getting a little work done on my house. I got a new poker table and other little stuff, but other than that, I’m moved in and everything is good. Here’s just a light recap of my season, my crazy teammates and the life and times of a rookie in the NBA.

Our Tough Season
We went through a lot this year. We started off 0-18, switched coaches, had eight players for about 10 games and finally started playing our best basketball of the year towards the end of the season.

After a while it became hard to handle all those losses. After a loss, sometimes I’d go home and play some basketball video games where I could win and feel accomplished.

To be honest, I’ve never lost that much in my life. And after losing so much I kind of evaluated myself to see how I could make myself better and help the team win. If I’m getting better every game and learning something different, I don’t take it as a waste of a season. Even though the overall record speaks of that, I take it as time for me to grow and make myself a better player.

After this season of struggle, I found out that I can actually play basketball in this league. The average lifespan of an NBA player is 4 ½ years. That’s why making it to this league is a huge thing! But staying and playing well is a whole other story. In the last two months I proved that I can do both. By getting time and gaining my confidence in the NBA, I was actually able to show what I can do. Once you find out you can play in this league and gain confidence, it seems like the things that got you to the league are easier to showcase. I’m going to use my same game that got me here, as far as passing, scoring, rebounding and playing D. I’m just going to show it on a bigger stage.

Shinning Moment of the Season
When we played Cleveland in our house I guarded LeBron and he guarded me the whole game. I finished that game with 21 points, seven rebounds and five assists. I thought to myself, I just played against the best or second best player in the world and I held my own with time and minutes in the game. After that game, every game started to be about showcasing what I can do. I knew that I had made my statement in the league. I could do this.

Rookie Duties
I honestly thought it was going to be a lot more hazing and stuff, but it was a lot easier than I thought. Basically every time we got on the plane to fly somewhere I had to get Popeye’s chicken for the team. Other than that, if they needed something while we were on the road, as far as walking to the store or something, I would do it. Other than that, it wasn’t really that hard.

The way I am, if you do some ridiculous rookie prank stuff like fill my car with popcorn and play tricks on me, I’m going to go ahead and do something back to you. Jokes are OK, but that old saying “what goes around comes around” is pretty true, and I live by it. Even as the lone rookie on the team, I’m not afraid to give them a taste of their own medicine. Guys know my personality and what type of person I am, so a lot of that didn’t go on. Plus, it’s hard to haze someone when we are losing. Losing feels like hazing as it is.

And guess what? I didn’t bring the chicken the last game in Miami! CDR tried to clown me and say “Damn, rookie you get triple-doubles and you think you don’t have to bring the chicken?” Nah that wasn’t the case. I just had a lot to do, so I couldn’t do it. I mean, what was the point of bringing it anyway? It was the last game!

If we were winning and in the playoffs and I was getting hazed, I wouldn’t care. Go ahead, fill my car up with popcorn do whatever you want. We would still be playing and I’d be fine with that.

Rookie of the Month Award
The award was totally unexpected. I was told that if I had a good game against Miami there was a soft chance that I could get Rookie of the Month. I was like “How?” You got Brandon Jennings and these other guys who keep winning and they are going to the playoffs. Why would they give somebody on the Nets, Rookie of the Month?

But the day we had our exit meetings with Rod Thorn is when I found out I won. I really appreciated it.

Winning that award shows you what confidence will give you and that hard work does pay off. So the times I was getting DNP’s or playing just eight minutes a game, I was still the first and last one in the gym working on my game. And when I was playing 30 to 35 minutes and I got a triple-double, I was still in the gym. Against Chicago, I played 49 minutes and I still played 3-on-3 with the guys at practice the next day. I think it just shows you that I’m willing to put in the work.

Favorite Teammates
Besides CDR (Chris Douglas Roberts), Bobby Simmons has got to be my favorite guy on the team. He taught me everything as far as basketball at this level. He taught me the part about basketball that most don’t teach…Like how to pay attention to other greats. Instead of watching Kobe and guarding him and trying to stop him, he advised me to learn him. He told me to learn what he does good and try to mimic it.

I’m also still really close with my boy CDR because there was a large part of the season last year (his rookie season) where he didn’t play. So it was easy for us to relate on that. With him I always know I am dealing with a real person who is from the same type of background I come from. So it’s definitely a lot easier to talk to him. He is also always one to speak his mind.

Although he’s not my teammate, another guy I have a great relationship with is Nate Robinson. He is from the Seattle area too (there must be something in the water that breeds us ballers!). Right now, I’m just giving him his space for the playoffs. But anytime he wants to vent or talk, I’m here.

Good Times
Though we had lots of losses this season, it wasn’t all doom and gloom. We have a lot of funny guys on the team — whether it’s CDR, Bobby Simmons, Keyon Dooling, Trenton Hassel or Jarvis Hayes — we kept each other smiling. We also played so hard in practice and went so hard at each other. Those moments were worth everything. It just seems like when we got in the games our brains just went dead. But other than that, we actually loved practice and we played hard.

We also did a little team bonding in the beginning of the season where we want to an Army base camp and we got to play army games. We had to be on teams of seven against the Army guys and try to capture them. It was like a video game and you are in the field. We had to be stealth and talk to each other about positioning and things.

That definitely was the start of everything, and it was my first time at a team event. That day I gained a lot of respect for my teammates.

Twitter “What if”s
I wrote something on my Twitter earlier in the season and folks took it the wrong way. I paid the price. But my whole thing was “What if…What if I got drafted five minutes earlier or later to Toronto or Charlotte? How would my life be?”. I wasn’t trying to say I want to be out of New Jersey. I know I don’t control that, and why would I want to leave? I love New Jersey. That was just me thinking about how life would be different. I went from being “The Man” on the court in high school and college to not playing at all, and that’s tough. When all you know how to do is play basketball and you end up sitting as a rookie, you don’t know what to do.

I really didn’t have any other rookies that I knew who could understand my situation either. My close friend DeMar DeRozan went to Toronto. He started the first and third quarter the entire season. Brandon Jennings is the Man in Milwaukee and Steph Curry, he went to a perfect situation where he is the Man there too. Same thing with Johnny Flynn. All these rookies that I knew went to teams where they played big minutes. So I turned around and looked at myself and said “Can I play this game?” Because if I can’t play this game on a team that’s losing, then what does that say about me? So I just had this “What if…” question to the world. Like, “what would have happened if I got drafted here or there.” Some people took it as “I don’t want to be here” or “I want to get out of here”. It was just a legitimate question they took the wrong way.

Thoughts On Moving to Brooklyn
I went over to Brooklyn for an appearance at a hospital and the only thing I can tell right now is that there’s going to be a lot of traffic around that new arena. If the team moves there, I might move to Brooklyn or to Long Island because I’m not going to commute from Jersey to Brooklyn. Especially since you can’t predict traffic in New York. I live right by the Lincoln Tunnel in Edgewater, NJ and sometimes when I’m going to the city to grab some sneakers it may take an hour just to get to the city. My New Yorkers out there got any suggestions on spots in Brooklyn to live or visit?

NBA Playoff Predictions
I am really not into the playoffs right now. First of all, because I’m not in it. Secondly, too many of my guys are in it right now. I don’t know who to root for. I want Nate to do well and Jamal and Jason Terry. Basically all my Seattle guys. Who do you guys think I should root for? Let me know!

Well, thanks for following me here on Rookie Chronicles throughout my rookie season. And make sure to follow me on my twitter and my facebook page.

—T-Will

Ben Couch wrote a great article about T-Will’s rookie season with the nets on NJNets.com. Here’s a preview of it. You can read the rest here.

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J.—He said we hadn’t seen everything.

Nets swingman Terrence Williams was breaking down his rookie season before playing the Bulls on April 9, and allowed that through 78 games, he’d offered enough glimpses of his abilities to sense the NBA player he could become. But without a triple-double to his credit, the full range had yet to be displayed.

Four quarters, two overtimes and one victory later, we’d witnessed it all.

Williams hung a 27-point, 13-rebound, 10-assist line on several Chicago defenders, notably victimizing Kirk Hinrich on the fast break with a 360-degree aerial spin before scooping a layup off the glass. He shot 15-for-25 (.600) and deftly handled the point, creating transition opportunities aplenty and allowing Devin Harris (17 points, six rebounds that night) to play extended stretches off the ball.

Read the rest here.

During the month of April, Williams ranked first among Eastern Conference rookies in scoring (14.3 ppg) and minutes (34.2 mpg), while also leading all Eastern Conference rookies in points + rebounds + assists average (27.7) and ranking second in rebounds (7.1 rpg), assists (6.3 apg) and free throw percentage (.889). The Louisville product shot .455 (45-99) from the field and recorded his first career triple-double on 4/9/10 vs. Chicago with 27 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists. He also averaged a triple-double over New Jersey’s three home games in April with 20.7 points, 10.0 rebounds and 10.0 assists.

Williams finished the month tied for first among Eastern Conference rookies with three double-doubles, highlighted by his triple-double vs. Chicago and his 14 point, 14 assist game vs. New Orleans on 4/3. Throughout the month of April, Williams set career-highs in the following categories: points (27), assists (14), minutes (49) and field goals made (12), while tying career-highs in rebounds (13) and blocks (1).

Williams is the seventh Nets rookie to win the award joining Brook Lopez (Jan. 09, Feb. 09), Richard Jefferson (Jan. 02), Kenyon Martin (Nov. 00 & Mar. 01), Kerry Kittles (Dec. 96), Derrick Coleman (Nov. 90, Jan. 91, Apr. 91) and Buck Williams (Feb. 82).

Wassup up Blog Fam? My rookie season started last night. We came up just a little bit short. We got 81 more games to go, so we’ll get back in the lab and work harder. I know I gotta give more effort for us to get those W’s!

Anyway, I recently sat down for a talk with Harvery Araton of the New York Times. We talked about my childhood and how I was able to get through poverty and make it to the NBA. I think after you read this, you’ll understand why I wear #8. Here’s a little bit of the interview:

Many a young male has surmounted a difficult childhood, as did Mr. Williams, to become a millionaire professional in the National Basketball Association. The transformation from poverty and displacement to wealth and comfort can be jarring, as Mr. Williams discovered when he and his girlfriend, Sara Lambo, moved in last July. Mr. Williams, 22, found it hard to break old habits, and leave behind the memory of his impoverished Seattle childhood, when he lived in a house jammed with relatives after his 20-year-old father was murdered when he was 6.

Read the rest of the article HERE

—T-Will

Fans: Be sure to check out Terrence on Twitter and Facebook.

Wassup blog fam? I’ve been out at the Rookie Transition Program in New York. While there I took part in my first trading card photo shoot with Panini. Here’s video from the shoot:

—T-Will

Fans: Be sure to check out Terrence on Twitter and Facebook.

What’s up blog fam? I just finished an interview with Nets are Scorching. We talked about everything from pre-game rituals to my experience during the summer league. You can read or listen to the entire interview HERE.

—T-Will

Fans: Be sure to check out Terrence on Twitter and Facebook.

Wassup blog fam? I’m out in New Jersey right now with my girl trying to find a condo. While I have some time I want to tell you guys a little about my experience at the Orlando Summer League.

After my short trip to Seattle, I headed out for two a day practices with my summer league squad. It was kind of weird because I was playing with players that have so many different goals. Some guys were recent first round picks or veterans with guaranteed contracts that were just trying to improve their games. Others were guys that were second round picks or veterans from the D-League or Europe that were trying to make a squad or get noticed by someone.

The team also had a funny feel to it because the Nets and Sixers decided to combine summer league squads. Although I got a lot of good experience playing in the league, I don’t think it benefits you at all to go out and play with guys who aren’t going to be your teammates when the season starts. You get used to a guy’s game, but at the end of the day, it doesn’t matter because you aren’t going to be playing with them anyway. I guess it’s just good to get out and run in an NBA level league though.

I think I played pretty well in the league and improved every game. I only scored 4 points in my first game, but ended up scoring 16 and 14 in my last two. I think the key for me is to be aggressive. After my first game Coach Frank and my agent Aaron Goodwin both kept telling me that I needed to drive to the basket more. I know if I use my athleticism to get to the rim, a lot of good things will happen for me.

Even if I am not scoring, you will always see me hit the boards, play great defense and try to set up my teammates. I grew up admiring guys like Magic Johnson and Gary Payton. Those two were bigger guards that played an all around game. Even if they were not scoring 20, they always found a way to have a big impact on the game. That’s what I want to be able to do too.

Overall the transition has been smoother than I thought it would be. Well, except for that corner three point line. You guys have no idea how little space there is between the corner three point line and out of bounds. It’s so easy to step out of bounds without knowing it over there!

Before I started playing in summer league, I made sure to sign my contract with the Nets. I wanted to make sure that if anything happened I would already be set financially.

Immediately after signing my deal, my Auntie and my cousins back at home started sending me congrats on my new contract. I was like “how did you guys know I signed my contract?” They told me they saw it on the internet. I went and looked at some of the articles and they tell people EXACTLY how much I’m making. Keep in mind, just last year I was living off of a $220 per month stipend at Louisville. I’m just thankful that I have been blessed with this opportunity.

Alright blog fam. I’ll be in New Jersey this week looking for places. I’ll keep y’all posted on that and much more. Also, look for my flipcam vids from the draft on here sometime this week. God Bless.

—T-Will

Fans: Be sure to check out Terrence on Twitter and Facebook.

Wassup blog fam? Life has been kind of hectic since the draft. The day after the draft I went over to meet with the New Jersey Nets and the local media. At the press conference I got my first official NBA Jersey. I’m going to be wearing number 8. Number 8 is all about reminding me about where I came from. First, my family was on section 8 when I was younger. For those of you that don’t know what that is, just enter section 8 into Google. To go from that to being in the NBA is an amazing feeling. I just never want to lose sight of that. As well, everyone knows I grew up in Seattle. The Seattle area code is 206. Those numbers add up to eight, so #8 just felt right.

After my meeting with the Nets I headed back out to Seattle to hang out with family and friends and celebrate getting drafted and my birthday. The only problem was that I got sick right before I got there, so there wasn’t much partying for me. I did get a chance to work out with Jamal Crawford and Nate Robinson. It’s good having homies from my hometown in the NBA that I can work out with and get advice from.

After my short stay in Seattle I went straight out to Orlando to meet up with my summer league squad. I’ll tell you all about what that was like in my next blog post. I also have some video on my flipcam from the draft. I’ve just been so busy that I haven’t had time to upload it for y’all. I’ll have it up up soon though. For now, take care and God Bless!

—T-Will

Fans: Be sure to check out Terrence on Twitter and Facebook.

Net Income from Nets Daily
Life can sometimes be unfair for Terrence Williams.

Fans in New Jersey are expecting him to “replace” Vince Carter. That’s unfair.

He has said he modeled his game after Magic Johnson, raising unfair expectations.

And when a local sports radio host asked Nets President Rod Thorn if T-Will was Pippen-esque, Thorn didn’t respond directly. It would have been unfair.

With VC headed in one direction and T-Will headed in the other on Draft Day, comparisons were easy, but, well, unfair. But based on his comments since being selected—and a LOT of YouTube viewing, Nets fans have already taken a liking to Twill’s game and personality. What they like is his versatility at both ends of the floor. Not only can he play three positions on offense. His strength, athleticism and skills will permit him to take on a number of different challenges at the other end, where the Nets were woeful last year. His quirky, confident personality has already helped fans get through the trauma of this week’s moves. After all, what can you say about a kid who in a Green Room conversation asked Ricky Rubio, “Why are you nervous? You’ve been making money since you were 11.”

It’s fair to say that in Jersey, we like that.

Sebastian from Nets Are Scorching
When David Stern came up and announced that Terrence Williams was the Nets’ selection at 11, it brought a smile to my (and I am assuming all Nets’ fans) face(s) the first time all day.  I am going to admit that I didn’t hop onto the “draft Terrence Williams” train until late in the game (a couple days before his workout here in NJ), but once I did a little bit of research (and an interview), and saw what he was all about, I was pulling for him to get drafted.

So why was I so pumped?  Well, Terrence is a seasoned guy (stayed in school all 4 years) who played under a great coach in a fast-paced system (this is going to be key.  I mean look at our roster this year, we are going to be running and gunning for the most part – or at least I hope we do), and he is crazy athletic.  He combines that athletic ability with a body that allows him to effectivly play 3 positions in the pros.  This, along with the trade of Vince Carter, means that Williams should get a good amount of playing time for a rookie, which will lead to Williams hopefully developing faster than the normal rookie.  We can look at newest Net Courtney Lee for an example of this.  Last year with Orlando, Lee got a lot of time during the season, and just look how he played in the playoffs.

What impresses me most about Williams is his mentality both on and off the court.  On the court, Terrence Williams is willing to do whatever it takes to help the team win.  Back when I interviewed him (I am going to milk the hell out of this) when I asked who he molds his game after, his answer shows what he is all about:

- NetsRScorching@TheRealTWill Is there a NBA player that you mold your game after?about 10 hours ago from web in reply to TheRealTWill

- TheRealTWill@NetsRScorching as far a game wise I try to e like lebron passing wise, rebounding N team first concept that’s my whole motto

So he wants to be the guy who does everything on the court.  He wants to create for everyone else, rebound, and play defense.  Just let the scoring come.  As a rookie, that is the right mentality to take.  Especially with this team.  We got Brook, Devin Harris and Courtney Lee to do most of our scoring.  Off the court, he has the swagger and the confidence you like to see in a player.  He also has shown a willingness to get in the gym and work on the things he needs to improve.

With all this being said, he does need to work on some things.  The most important and most noticible being his shot.  He did shoot well, well in his workout with us, but I would call that more of a good shooting night than what you would expect to see from him normally.  I am not worried though, because I know that Gary Payton won’t let him not work on his shooting.

All told, I am extremly happy with the pick (In case you couldn’t tell).  With the 11th pick in a supposedly weak draft you shouldn’t be able to get a player that will be able to help you team immedeatly, but that is what we got with Terrence Williams.

Wassup y’all? After getting drafted by the New Jersey nets, I conducted my first interview with Craig Sager. Who do you think had the better suit?

Fans: Be sure to check out Terrence on Twitter and Facebook.