Fred is a young guy and we tried to give him some chances. He's a talent, probably one of the five most talented players in the league this year. But there comes a point when I have to do what I believe is best for the team. We've got capable replacements who I feel can step in and do the job for us. This type of thing happens in pro ball.
People come and people go.
We just need to move forward and put this episode behind us. In recent games, Williams had been shifted into a non-starting role, relieving forwards Marcus Hicks and Jeremy Eaton, who are averaging 17.1 and 12.0 points, respectively. N.D. Cotton saw limited duty in two weekend games and did not have his first practice with the team until Monday. He had two injured-plagued seasons with the Seattle SuperSonics, seeing action in just 19 total games, then spent all of last winter on the Chicago Bulls' injured reserve list. In two games after joining the team on Friday, Cotton totaled 27 minutes and 10 points, all from the free throw line, while misfiring on his first nine IBA shots from the field.