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LAS VEGAS — He's known as the Quiet Storm for the silent way he tears defenses apart. He even has the moniker tattooed on his right shoulder.
But C.J. Watson, the Warriors' mild-mannered second-year point guard, needs to make some noise. Now.
Golden State's need for a point guard — someone to support Monta Ellis, who is expected to replace Baron Davis as the Warriors' starter at the position — is well-documented. And Watson wants to be that guy. However, the Warriors are exploring free agents and trade options. His window of opportunity could be closing.
"I'm good in (coach Don Nelson's) offense," Watson said Wednesday. "I can push the ball. I can shoot. I feel like I can be what they need, if they just be patient with me."
Watson knows he has to make his case immediately. That's why he came in a month before summer league to work out with Warriors assistant coach Stephen Silas. Why he spent so much time this offseason watching film, working on his jump shot and practicing finishing at the basket.
Why on Wednesday, though the Warriors' summer league squad was given the day off, he was sitting in the front row of Cox Pavilion at UNLV watching games instead of taking in Sin City, his hometown.
A partial contract guarantee kicks in for Watson on July 25, and another kicks in if he's on the roster at the beginning of the season. If he's on the roster in January, his deal becomes guaranteed for the year
While he said he'd be elated with a guaranteed contract, he made it clear he's eyeing the backup point guard job.
Watson has turned up the volume, on his game and his mouth. More than ever, Watson looks under control and sure of himself on the court. His game at summer league has been marked with aggressiveness, on both ends, and a certain take-over ability that was absent during his 32 games and 368 minutes with the Warriors last season.
Through three summer league games, he's averaged 17 points, 4.3 assists and 4.3 steals. He's also averaging nine field goal attempts and 10.6 free-throw attempts, a contrast that illustrates his aggressiveness at getting to the basket.
"We know who he is. We know what he can do," said Warriors assistant coach Keith Smart, the coach of the summer league squad. "He's improved a lot. He's doing what he needs to do."
Smart added that Watson has become much more decisive, a requirement in Nelson's system, and has displayed a noticeable improvement in court vision.
Chris Mullin, the Warriors' executive vice president of basketball operations, has said he's looking for a point guard who also can play some shooting guard. At 6-foot-2, 180 pounds, Watson doesn't fit the mold of a typical NBA shooting guard. But he's been a scorer all of his career and played most of his minutes last season alongside, and not behind, Davis.
"I've played with C.J. for a lot of years," said Washington Wizards point guard Dee Brown, who played with Watson on the USA Junior World Championship team in 2003. "The one word that comes to mind with him is 'solid.' He's a solid point guard and a solid person. With the way the Warriors play, he's just got to run the team, make everyone better and make shots. He can do that."
Another hurdle for Watson is leadership. Last season, as a rookie call-up from the NBA Development League, Watson closed his mouth and played his role. But a backup point guard needs to be at least somewhat authoritative and communicative.
His aura and demeanor during summer league is that of a floor general and leader — directing traffic, offering some encouragement and congratulations. The question is whether he's ready to do the same among the likes of Ellis and veteran swingmen Stephen Jackson and Corey Maggette.
"I'm more comfortable now," Watson said. "I know what all the coaches want. I know my teammates. I like to be a leader by example first. When I get the confidence of my teammates, then I start speaking out more. So I don't think it's an issue anymore."
It's time for the Quiet Storm to become a thunderstorm. And in a hurry.
Contact Marcus Thompson II at mthomps2@bayareanewsgroup.com.
