Derrick Williams has already had better games than the first game against Real Madrid, to say the least, since arriving at Maccabi Tel Aviv – only two points in 22 minutes. On the one hand, he is already experienced enough and knows not to take too hard losses in games that still have a way back. But on the other hand he is eager – perhaps most of all – to return to his team, and at the end of the concluding training session he would sit down for a personal video session with the assistant coaches on scouting for the second game and correcting mistakes.
Williams very much wants to win. This is already his fourth season in Europe, and at the age of 30 – this series against Real is his first playoff series in the Euroleague. The Corona has also had an excellent season (19/20) at Fenerbahce, and now is his big chance to make a significant mark in Europe. “Derik knows he has a lot of responsibility,” Maccabi said of him. “He kept getting better as the season progressed and he knows the team needs him.”
Williams’ season until tonight’s game was very fickle. He started not bad, got better, fell for a bad period, got better again, got down in shape again and recently introduced excellent basketball along with the improvement of the whole team. His bad game in Madrid came precisely in the season when he scored more outside of Elijah – 11.5 points (2 threes on average per game at 43.5%) against only 8 points at home.
This fact is relatively surprising, as Williams has become one of the crowd favorites as the season progresses. His connection to the fans also knew ups and downs – there were voices calling for his release after spending the night of the loss in the Cup derby, where he was not on the squad. But little by little, the bond between the American forward and the yellow crowd has grown stronger: Williams is one of the players who is almost always left last to celebrate after victories and makes sure to excite the crowd after almost every positive action. “Derrick sometimes seems a little indifferent, but he feeds on these things around,” Maccabi testified. “He is a player who produces these energies around him, and that is very significant for the team.”
At the professional level, Williams’ importance to Maccabi Tel Aviv is very great: beyond the athletic advantage he can produce in a position over most opponents in the Euroleague, he is an outside threat. “Derrick’s ability to win the game for us is critical,” Avi Even said of him this season. “He can do a lot of things, offensively and defensively, so his confidence in shooting is important. He just needs to be consistent. “
The press conference at which Derrick Williams spoke after Wheelerban was relatively lengthy. James Nanali has already had time to shower, get organized, leave the locker room and ask his friend in amazement: “Are you still talking ?!” It was indeed a slightly long press conference, nonetheless – Maccabi Tel Aviv promised promotion to the playoffs that evening – but not something out of the ordinary by Williams’ standards. In this he is unequivocally consistent. Williams is the kind of player who will always respond at length, even after unpleasant losses, will always respect those who stand in front of them – fans, journalists, teammates.
Because of all this, and especially in light of the great improvement in recent times (not including game number 1 in Madrid), Maccabi Tel Aviv are considering whether to continue with Williams, who does not have a contract for next season. If it seemed during the season that this matchmaking was not meant to last, then the positive twist in the last two months may have a direct impact on what will happen in the summer.
Williams, it should be noted, feels good at Maccabi Tel Aviv and generally loves Tel Aviv since the first time he came to it as a guest player at Bayern Munich. He will continue only under the conditions that are suitable for him, which will also include a salary upgrade.
The thing is that at the moment the head of Williams or the people of Maccabi Tel Aviv is not really available for negotiations. Tonight they have game number 2 in Madrid and the consequences are clear. In the most important moments of the season. His good game tonight, will not only bring Maccabi Tel Aviv closer to the Final Four, maybe even bring him closer to the contract he is aiming for. Do not be surprised if it will be in Tel Aviv again.
