The Thrill and Two Times
April 12, 2018 - National Basketball League of Canada (NBL Canada)
Moncton Magic News Release
For 48 minutes a night 40 plus times a year fans see the results of countless hours of practice, weight room work, film study and sacrifice. Amongst the many intangibles cultivated behind the scenes of any successful team both on and off the court is team chemistry, and the Moncton Magic has been blessed with a slew of good players who are better people, something that's made that part of their season look effortless.
The term "fan favourite" is thrown around about any number of players on this first-year franchise but at or near the top of that list is "The Thrill", Jeremy Williams. The 6'8" native of Memphis, Tennessee is quick off his feet on the floor and quick with a smile off it. He's one of many members of the Magic lineup whose role has evolved as the season has gone on and has embraced it, enabling the team to be flexible and adaptable against any opposing lineup.
With his unselfish, team-first mentality, J-Will can be counted on to guard his man and rotate and help defensively, while possessing the ability to beat his man off the dribble and rise and fire over him from the perimeter on the other end. The king of the three-pointer from the top of the key, Williams is also a good and willing passer and screener, all keys in Coach Joe Salerno's offense.
"Jeremy has been a key guy for us all season," says Salerno. "Throughout the course of the regular season it seemed as if, when he was playing well, we were winning games. He brings that true versatility at the 4-spot for us on both ends of the floor, something that is vital in this league. His athleticism and skill set allows us to do a lot of different things, and his consistent positive attitude is contagious in our locker room. Its not to often you catch J-Will having a bad day or having a negative outlook on things. He has played a major factor in our overall team chemistry this year, something that all successful teams need to have. I have nothing but positive things to say about J-Will and what he has done for our club this season."
When you've played in the league since it's inception, won not one, but 2, Defensive Player of the Year awards, and become the second player to reach the 1000 point, rebound AND assist milestones in the NBLC, you might expect to be forgiven some ego and me-first attitude. Not so for the Magic player we call the man of a thousand nicknames. "The Sparkplug", "Two-Times" whatever it is you call him, the man's given name is Al Stewart, and in describing this super-sub point guard and his contributions on the season, his coach may have given us a 1001st nickname for our broadcast.
"Al truly is an ageless wonder," marvels Salerno, "and he has proven it again this season. He really is kind of the heart and soul of our club. The nature in which he carries himself as a professional on a day-to-day basis is impressive to say the least." Al didn't start out the year as the leader of the bench mob. The owner of the fastest hands in the Atlantic was the starting point guard at the outset of the year with Anthony Anderson beside him at the two-guard position. As the season progressed though, Salerno knew an adjustment was needed and knew he could depend on Al's leadership.
"When we made the change in our starting lineup mid-way through the season, a change that would move him to coming off the bench, he didn't even flinch. That's what you get with Al, he will always put the team and winning before himself. This why so many guys hold him in such high respect, and a big part as to why he has had so much success."
In his new role, his floor time has dropped but his effectiveness hasn't waned in the least. He ranks 41st in the league in minutes played but is 10th in assists and 3rd in steals in yet another All-Defensive Team season. The move to put AA as the point guard on the starting unit and trust his backup minutes to Stewart proved to be an inspired choice by Salerno, giving him one of the league's best playmakers on the floor as much as he wants. Stewart's 3.0 assist/turnover ratio also sits squarely in the league's top-ten. "It's tough to put into words the positive impact both on and off the court he has had for our organization this season," continues his coach. "He has been the leader of this club from day one, and a great spark off the bench for us since the midway point. He has a lot of life left in those legs, so I look forward to Al being in Moncton for as long as he wants to continue to play."
That's a sentiment surely echoed by Magic fans everywhere when it comes to both Al Stewart and Jeremy Williams. No matter when these veterans hang it up and move on from Moncton, like so many of their teammates, they'll have left the basketball community, and the community as a whole, better than when they found it. Check out the guys in Game three of their opening round Atlantic Division playoff series against the Saint John Riptide live from Harbour Station on Thursday night at 7 pm live on monctonmagic.ca.
National Basketball League of Canada Stories from April 12, 2018
- Hurricanes Gain Series Lead over Island Storm - Halifax Hurricanes
- The Battle of 506 Continues Tonight at Harbour Station - Saint John Riptide
- The Thrill and Two Times - Moncton Magic
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
