TEAMMATES before with the Golden State Warriors, Reggie Williams and Rodney Carney find themselves on opposite sides on Saturday when San Miguel and Talk 'N Text clash in the PBA Governors Cup at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Williams, who owns a silky-smooth jump shot, describes his Tropang Texters counterpart as a “freaky athletic player," with whom he played together with the Warriors during the 2010-11 season of the NBA.
“He’s a freaky athletic man, quick off the floor, and he uses that (athleticism) to his advantage,” Williams told Spin.ph just after San Miguel Beer’s morning practice on Friday at the Reyes gym.
With the 6-foot-5 Carney finally getting the benefit of practicing longer with Talk `N Text, Williams expects his former teammate to finally show what he can really do on the basketball court.
“He’s so quick on the floor, a really good player. And you can’t give him a good look, or he’ll knock it (jump shot) down, so it will take team effort to defend him,” added the 27-year-old left-handed San Miguel import, who scored a career-high 31 points on an NBA career-best eight three-point field goals during a Golden State game on Jan. 28, 2011.
Carney planed in on Tuesday midnight as a last-minute replacement for Othyus Jeffers, who played for just one game with Talk `N Text before a contract problem in the NBA prevented him from suiting up for the franchise again.
The 30-year-old Carney, a Memphis standout, debuted with a quiet 13 points in the Tropang Texters’ 83-81 win over Rain or Shine.
Although both are noted shooters during their playing years in the NBA, Williams said he doesn’t intend to engage Carney in a shootout just to put on a show.
“I really can’t say (on engaging in a shootout). Yeah, we’re missing a lot of key pieces in Marcio (Lassiter, cut on his right shin) and Chris Ross (right calf), but I’ll just see how the flow of the game goes and make sure I play and don’t force the issue,” explained Williams, who averaged an NBA career-best 15.2 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 2.8 assists in 32.6 minutes during his rookie year with Warriors in the 2009-10 season.
Carney was selected 16th overall pick by the Chicago Bulls during the 2006 draft, but was traded afterwards to the Philadelphia 76ers. He played for four NBA teams - the Sixers, the Timberwolves, the Warriors, and the Memphis Grizzlies.
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