With Marcus Williams and Sean Williams on the Nets roster, the team has its youngest duo in six years. Both are currently 21 years old. The last time the Nets had two players that young entering a season was 2001-02 when Richard Jefferson and Brandon Armstrong were on the roster. Both were 21 and five months on opening night. The two Williams are a few months older.
You have go back to 1980-81 before you get a much younger duo. That's when Mike Gminski, then a 21 year old, and Cliff Robinson (of USC, not UConn), then 19, were on the roster. When Marcus Williams joined the team last year at 20 years old, he was the youngest Net since Robinson.
Sean Williams is the 22nd youngest player in the league, Marcus Williams the 52nd. Kevin Durant is No. 1.
Seattle and Portland both have five players in the youngest 55, Golden State has four, while Philadelphia, LA Lakers, Memphis and Atlanta have three. Nine other teams have two: Milwaukee, Detroit, Miami, Utah, New Jersey, New York, Washington, Boston and Cleveland, while seven others have one each: Sacramento, New Orleans, San Antonio and Orlando ...although Orlando has Dwight Howard! Ten teams have none. Of the super young, those not yet 21 years old, Portland has four and the Lakers three.
Speaking of Sean Williams, ESPN the Magazine has this item in the current issue...not online:
"Is Nets rook Sean Williams the new Kenyon Martin? 'He's more athletic, he can be a better shot blocker and he runs the floor,' says a Nets insider who was there for K-Mart years. 'He's not as savvy as Kenyon but he's got everything else.'
Williams, it should be noted, is now averaging more minutes per game than any of the Nets' bigs. At 18.9 minutes per game, he is slightly ahead of Jason Collins at 18.5, followed by Nenad Krstic at 15.0, Malik Allen at 13.8, Jamaal Magloire at 13.6 and Josh Boone at 9.3. He is also sixth on the team, behind Richard Jefferson, Vince Carter, Jason Kidd, Antoine Wright and Boki Nachbar in minutes per game and sixth among NBA rookies as well.
One Bobcat rookie is routing for Williams to succeed. Jared Dudley, Williams' teammate at Boston College, tells the Boston Herald that he isn't that surprised at what he has seen: "He seems to be doing really well. We all knew he could do that. It’s just more off the court, and it seems he’s settled down."
Wondering where some of the Nets who played in training camp are now? Rod Benson is back with the Dakota Wizards in the D-League, Robert Hite is playing for Galatasaray Cafe Crown in the Turkish League, Mateen Cleaves is playing for Panionios in the Greek League, and Jumaine Jones is playing for Eldo Napoli in the Italian League. And if you're also wondering about how Christian Drejer, the Nets' 2004 pick, is doing after his big preseason game against Toronto, the answer is not well. He has been sidelined with an injury for most of the Italian League season.
How about Hassan Adams? Adams was last reported to be looking for work in Europe. No indication he has signed with anyone.