In the early stages of the 2014-15 NBA season, Brooklyn Nets point guard Deron Williams appears to have finally returned to his old self now that he is fully healthy. While it is too early to determine whether his current success will last, he is certainly off to an auspicious start in his fourth full season with the Nets.
Back in February of 2011, the Nets put forth all of their effort towards acquiring then-Nugget Carmelo Anthony, who reportedly wanted to leave Denver. To the disappointment of the Nets organization and their fans (if they even had any while in New Jersey), Melo was shipped to the rival Knicks, where he had wanted to play all along. After just one short day of dejection, GM Billy King and the Nets stunned the basketball world with their shocking trade for Deron Williams. The Nets quickly rebounded from what seemed like a demoralizing and defeating blow, as they sent Devin Harris, Derrick Favors, and two draft picks, one of which became Enes Kanter, to Utah in exchange for Deron Williams. At the time, many pundits around the league exalted the Nets for this move, and some even considered Williams more valuable than Anthony. There were even discussions as to whether Chris Paul or Deron Williams was the best point guard in the league. He was a floor leader, made his teammates better, and was an elite passer.
Well, that was 2011. It’s now 2014 and the CP3/D-Will discussions terminated years ago. Williams has been plagued with injuries to both his wrist and ankles, and he has thus struggled with his confidence and explosiveness. The Nets treated him like a superstar off the court with personalized birthday trucks and a fat 5-year contract worth $98 million in the summer of 2012; however, his play never matched its expectations. Last season he averaged his lowest points and assist totals since his rookie season, with just 14.3 ppg and 6.1 apg in 64 games. Those stats definitely did not scream out that Williams was worth a max contract, nor did they indicate that he was a point guard to build a team around. D-Will’s killer crossovers and clutch stepback three pointers were no longer; many fans, including myself, strongly believed the Deron Williams of the past would never come back.
To the relief and pleasure of many Nets fans, Williams has so far played like the old D-Will in the first six games of the young season. He has claimed to be fully healthy for the first time in forever, and it actually appears as if he is telling the truth when watching the Nets play. Through six games, Williams has averaged 19.5 points and 7.0 assists on 49% shooting from the field. He’s more confident, explosive, and agile when handling the ball. The oohs and ahhs have finally returned to the Barclays Center crowd as he crosses over his defender. The Nets have been one of the most efficient offensive teams (statistically and visually), and much of the credit belongs to their floor general.
Every analyst or beat writer that covers the Nets has said for years that the Nets would go as D-Will goes; with a healthy and productive Deron Williams, the ceiling for the Nets season increases dramatically. His energy has the ability to ignite a spark in the rest of his team, and that is when he is at his best. Williams has always looked to break down his defender and create a scoring opportunity for his teammates, and he is finally able to do that again now that he has a pair of healthy ankles. This isn’t to say he’ll be as good as Chris Paul again – because he probably won’t – but it is fair to say that the Deron Williams who got outmatched by Kyle Lowry in multiple playoff games last year is not the same player who starts at point guard for Brooklyn today.
Deron Williams won’t be able to live up to his contract or the value the Nets anticipated when they traded for him in 2011, but it seems as if he has regained the potential to be an all-star caliber point guard in the NBA. Hopefully Williams isn’t just teasing fans in Brooklyn and he will be able to sustain this level of play and health throughout the season.
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