Sean Williams was waived by the New Jersey Nets this past January, and no one missed him. Not even the Nets, who were struggling to notch their fourth win of the season at the time. Williams had chances to play. He had chances to succeed. He had chances to, well, do anything but screw up.
Williams’ competition for playing time in New Jersey has consisted of Josh Boone, Kris Humphries, Stromile Swift, and Eduardo Najera. Yet Williams, for a variety of reasons, could never snag the spot in the rotation -- and in the NBA -- that he was born to take. Williams’ physical gifts will make sure he gets basketball employment of some kind for the foreseeable future, but his NBA appeal has dried out. At this stage in his career, Williams just isn’t worth the trouble. Talented though he may be, there’s only so much need for athletic bigs without the proper focus, and that’s to say nothing of Williams’ other indiscretions.
With no NBA team willing to cut the check, Williams is forced to seek employment elsewhere. According to David Pick of Eurobasket.net, Williams has been signed by Hapoel Jerusalem, an Israeli team that plays in Eurocup and the Israeli Super League. I’m sure this won’t be the last we’ll see of Williams. He’ll likely pop up again on a training camp roster in a year or two, and hopefully by then Williams’ basketball life will be in slightly better order.