Deron Williams' Time

[Ckidd--]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/p ... atsId=3929 <- statistics (pts in series vs. SAS )

He has definitely improved during playoffs, and has turned into a hidden gem in this series vs. SAS. Notice how nobody, including Bowen, can perfectly cover Williams( that's how good he is). It has been great seeing him quickly develop into a star point guard that he will be next year for sure

[TSquared]

well its kinda nice seeing him develop rapidly.. i always thought he'd be a star point guard but i never expected him to develop this quick.. he's really beginning to perform like a star.. plus his size and athleticism plus unbelievable quickness, he's surely becoming one

[Cornerthree]

Well you know the reason of this goin' up by Deron, is that he now plays his team basketball(with all the assists etc), but he also gets 3 steals a game that leads to a few more open shots, he brings his confidence up and then start's getting to the paint and gets fouled, this leads to little more points, and the next thing you see, is him making the trey or a mid-range jumper...

[el badman]

That dude is playing huge right now, cant wait to see what he'll do next.
It's pretty scary if u consider that even Bowen has trouble defending him...

[maes]

He's a mismatch for most PGs because of his athleticism & size, which are always underestimated. He can blow by any guard in the league with his crossover, has shown he can attack the rim and finish with a dunk over bigs, and unlike Jason Kidd he has natural 3 point range.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EyOpsqBX7Ls

That's just embarrassing for a guy who made the NBA All-Defense teams.

[Indy]

I don't get why you think he was a hidden gem. This was no surprise at all. Deron has been the second best player on the Jazz all season.

[el badman]

I don't get why you think he was a hidden gem. This was no surprise at all. Deron has been the second best player on the Jazz all season.

Yeah but his second year, it would have been fair to expect him to feel the pressure and not play at the level he's played all season. I think everybody was expecting Okur and Boozer to take the big shots in the money time, that's why most people are surprised that Williams could step up like that.

[ronaldo_VII]

he's one my favourite players !

[magius]

game time decision. he's a good player, but sa always let someone get off against them while shutting down the rest.

[Andrew]

The hype machine will no doubt go into overdrive as a result of this series, Mark Jackson has already nominated him as the second best point guard in the league. I wouldn't go that far just yet but that said I don't think Williams is a flash in the pan; as Indy said he's been impressive all season. Hopefully his continued emergence won't result in the seemingly inevitable backlash that a lot of players suffer once they establish themselves as stars.

[Matthew]

He's a top 5 pg right now in the league. The way he and Boozer are playing is scary when you think how young this Jazz team. I wonder how Larry Miller feels about his team now.

I hate team owners.

[galvatron3000]

I'd put him in the top 3 based on his play in the PLAYOFFS against the defense of the Spurs at that

[Matthew]

You'd put him ahead of Iverson, or Arenas, or Baron Davis?

[---]

The Spurs always have one guy running rampant against their team because they let them do it as long as they shut down the other guys. Deron is a very good player, but IMO the Spurs are making Deron beat them, which isn't happening.

[Sauru]

i personally would take him over any of those 3 you just mentioned. i think he runs a team much better than any of those 3 does. however i still would not put him top 3 pg in the nba, 5 maybe, not 3. now even though i dont put him top 3 pg in the nba if i was to start a team i would take him first, mainly due to his youth.

[galvatron3000]

You'd put him ahead of Iverson, or Arenas, or Baron Davis?

Matthew,

I'd take him at the point guard position over all those guys. He is a better pure PG (IMO) than those guys are except possibly BD and I'd take him over BD because he shoots, knows how to pass and runs the offense. Yeah, I'd take him over everyone except for Jason Kidd. Personally, I'd take him over Nash because of his strength and size

[Matthew]

But to include youth is an unfair comparison. It's like saying Greg Oden is better then KG, becuase he is younger and can have a bigger impact.

But I'm somehwat shocked that anyone would take Deron Williams over Allen Iverson right now.

[galvatron3000]

A.I. is more of a SG than PG, by far and I'd take Kobe, D Wade over A.I. at the 2 guard right now.

[Matthew]

Deron Williams is hardly on kobe/ Wade level.

[---]

But to include youth is an unfair comparison. It's like saying Greg Oden is better then KG, becuase he is younger and can have a bigger impact.

When Sauru talked about his youth, he was meaning if he started a new franchise. He would rather take a young promising point guard that is already very good, but has his best yet to come, rather than a player who is very good right now, but might have his best years behind him.

Since a new franchise most likely wouldn't be competing right away, why waste a superstars best years on losing seasons when you can have a player that grows with the organization?

Still, Deron isn't ahead of Gilbert, AI or Davis in my opinion.

[Matthew]

I knew what he was reffering to. But its an unfair way to compare players.

Potential is impossible to guage.

[Indy]

I don't get why you think he was a hidden gem. This was no surprise at all. Deron has been the second best player on the Jazz all season.

Yeah but his second year, it would have been fair to expect him to feel the pressure and not play at the level he's played all season. I think everybody was expecting Okur and Boozer to take the big shots in the money time, that's why most people are surprised that Williams could step up like that.

Well, I certainly wasn't surprised.

Deron is part of a changing theme of point guards. In the last 5 years we've seen many more point guards in the mold of Mark Jackson. Chauncey Billups, Deron Williams, Baron Davis and Tony Parker are all part of this. What do they all have in common? For the most part they all live in the paint. The Mike Bibby era of shooting point guards is starting to end.

[el badman]

Deron is part of a changing theme of point guards. In the last 5 years we've seen many more point guards in the mold of Mark Jackson. Chauncey Billups, Deron Williams, Baron Davis and Tony Parker are all part of this. What do they all have in common? For the most part they all live in the paint. The Mike Bibby era of shooting point guards is starting to end.

I see your point, though I would hardly say that Billups lives in the paint. He's still more of a shooter I think.
Either way, even with his amazing season, I personally wasn't expecting Deron to become...well Utah's Billups basically and take all these big-time shots, because he's still very young and lacks playoff experience. I thought he would be a good PG and get a bunch of assists as usual, but he's certainly been much more than that.

[Indy]

Billups is certainly not a "shooter". His main strength is his post up play.

[magius]

i'd definitely put nash over williams, i'd put billups over him, kidd, and probably a healthy baron davis. that 5 spot is debatable between a plethora of pgs.

but its certainly looking like he's developing into a fine player - the right kind of pg. perfect situation in utah right now for him.