Marvin Williams: Why #2?

SALT LAKE CITY - It's time to search for meaning in the number chosen by the newest member of the Jazz, Marvin Williams, or more appropriately the lack of meaning for him.

For Jazz fans the sad part is that the Jazz added two players named Williams, including Mo, but couldn't get either one to wear an eight so they could recycle their old Deron Williams jersey. Granted some are making fan fixes, as seen here by Devin Cash on Twitter.

But why 2 and not 8 for Marvin? Well the answer is simple enough. He had worn 24 for his competitive basketball career, from high school in Bremerton, Wash., where his number is retired, to his seven years playing for the Hawks.

#two

"I've been 24 since I've was probably 14 or 15 years old," Williams said.

The problem for Williams is that veteran Paul Millsap has worn 24 for his six years all with the Jazz, and he let Millsap keep his number.

"Millsap has 24, then I wanted 4, then I realized a Hall- of- Famer has 4 retired in the rafters," Williams said. "Then I went with the next choice and that was 2 and 2 wasn't taken. It was a tough choice for me."

The Hall-of-Famer is Adrian Dantley, and actually 2 was taken by Blake Ahearn last year and he was wearing the number for the Jazz's Summer team, and it didn't change after the trade became official. If Ahearn is resigned at some point this might be brought up again, maybe he takes 2 multiplied by 4 and get 8, but for now 2 is Williams' number.

So, is it just a number or is he using the number as something special?

He was after all the No. 2 pick in the 2005 draft, this is team number two and he scored the go-ahead two for a National Championship at North Carolina. But is there any actual significance to it?According to Williams, "no, not at all."

But, here is a look at what the significance should be for this new number two.

He is the second pick in his draft class. A draft that featured Deron Williams and Chris Paul who were drafted after him. His career might be considered a bust when compared to those two and that is how many define it. Instead of running from it he just lives with it and says that he has nothing new to prove just because of his draft position.

"Some people may say I do," Williams said. "My dream is to play in the NBA. Period. The only thing I have to prove is something to myself."

Where does he fall in the line of number two picks?

Clearly out of the top ten that includes Bill Russell, Jerry West, Gary Payton or even Kevin Durant, but is he in the biggest busts? Probably not either, that list includes Darko Milicic (picked before Carmelo Anthony, Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade) and Sam Bowie (picked before Michael Jordan) or Jay Williams and Len Bias, whose careers ended before they began due to tragic situations.

He is somewhere in the middle, but ultimately he wants to prove his own worth and he won't let his draft position define that.

"The only expectations I have to meet are my own." Williams said. "You'll never meet your own expectations if you compete, if you want to get better. And I want to get better."

To help his second team he is looking to fit in. He didn't choose to move on, but he is ready for the new opportunity. He has yet to talk with Tyrone Corbin or Kevin O'Connor about what his role is, but he wants to contribute.

"It's time to turn the page to the next chapter." Williams said.

He said he doesn't know much about Utah or the players on the Jazz except that it is cold up here and the players compete. He was involved with the Hawks-Jazz four- overtime game last year and said he knows the Jazz players just keep coming.

This could be his second chance to change the perception in regards to where he was drafted, but he is only focused on what he can do and the expectations he has placed on himself.

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