Corliss: I've got 6 years left in me

[Glenn]

I always liked the Big Nasty, and hey, he's got Artest in his corner.

http://www.sacbee.com/100/story/80608.html

Williamson has proven his worth to Kings

By Sam Amick - Bee Staff Writer

The Kings don't employ a psychologist, so Corliss Williamson may never know for sure if he's lost touch with reality.

But on those rare occasions when the veteran forward pulls out game tape from two or three or even four seasons ago, he sees the same player who shows up every day for Kings practice in the present day. And, for that matter, in the past five games.

"To be honest with you, I feel like the same player," Williamson said. "I feel like I can go out and do the same things I did three years ago. I have asked myself that question, whether I'm delusional or not. Is it just in my own mind that I can still do those things or can I really still play the game?

"The other night when we played against Detroit, it kind of answered the question for me."

And then there was Toronto, and Memphis and Golden State and San Antonio. Williamson has gone from playing a combined 12 minutes in the Kings' first four games to averaging 20.8 minutes in the last five games. It's come in exchange for production, with Kings coach Eric Musselman receiving 9.8 points per game in the stretch and rebounding numbers that have steadily climbed, including 11 in the last two games -- five against the Spurs in a season-high 31 minutes Sunday.

It all started with a game against the team that typifies his very worth, a season-high 15-point night against a Pistons club with which he won the 2001-02 Sixth Man of the Year award.

Away from the stat sheet, there is the public verification for Williamson that his mind was not deceiving him. The 32-year-old who wishes so many didn't seem so eager to push him out of the NBA door is nowhere near done.

Williamson, who will earn $6.5 million this season and be a free agent thereafter, said going out on his terms means he has six seasons of hoops left in that still-solid body. Sure, he played in just 37 games last season with the Kings, but it only gave him more time to condition enough that he was still considered among the strongest in the lot. And as revelations go, there's the one about wanting reliable minutes of playing time without taking on too much.

"I don't want to start," Williamson said, laughing. "You've got to play too many minutes. That six years would be shortened to three."

Last season, Williamson rarely saw playing time nor the reason for its absence. And although he never publicly questioned former coach Rick Adelman, he admits he bristled at the decision.

"I've hid it well," he said. "There have been times when I pretty much threw my hands up, like ... what's next? What can I do?"

Kings small forward Ron Artest had the same thought. He said even he campaigned for more playing time for Williamson, whom he used to face so often in those fabled Pacers-Pistons matchups.

"I asked coach Adelman (if) Corliss could come in the game?" Artest said. "I don't understand why he never played. I could see not playing a little bit. I guess that's the way they played, though, because Rick was playing a different style of basketball."

In Artest's view, Williamson is no aging player on the downslide.

"He is the same player (as before)," he said. "You've got a player who was a major part of a championship, takes care of his body, and he's only 32 years old. ... He works hard on his game so it's not like he's deteriorating like other players (who) don't work hard."

Musselman has needed Williamson even more so in light of recent injuries. The frontline was diminished by center Brad Miller's injury (torn tendon, left foot) on Nov. 4, and swingman John Salmons has missed the last three games with a right thigh contusion.

"Corliss has played very well for us," Musselman said. "He's a steady guy every day for us in practice. He's been really steady during the games."

The rotation, though, remains a changing thing. Should Musselman depend on Williamson for the long term, the veteran may finally know he wasn't going mad.

"You'd probably see me doing a backflip or something if (Musselman) ever came to me and said (he could expect significant minutes all season)," Williamson said. "When you have that in mind, then it's your responsibility to take care of business in the allotted time you have out there on the court."

And that, of course, he wouldn't mind at all.

[UberAlles]

I've got 6 years left in me

Darko wishes he could say the same!