It’s hard to believe, not long ago, there was a time when Deron Williams and Chris Paul were regarded as the definitive top of the NBA heap at the point guard position. Also of note, many had Deron ahead of Paul. Earlier in their careers Deron appeared to possess greater court vision and mid range game, those skills coupled with his superior size and physicality, formed what seemed to be the point guard of the future. A few years have now passed, as have coach disagreements, trades, injuries and the signing of one massively overvalued contract. The Brooklyn Nets, Williams’ recently former team are hemorrhaging money, making the decision to buyout Williams a fiscally sound maneuver. The organization went all in on a short window, with aged and injury prone players, sacrificing many of their first round picks as they mortgaged their future, coming up empty handed. The Nets have little hope of getting better in the short term, which is likely why team owner Mikhail Prokhorov, rather publicly put the team up for sale. Surprise, surprise there were no buyers. Sure, Brooklyn is one of the more emerging markets in the country, with a new stadium and the lure of New York City, the Nets are a sought after franchise. Just not in it’s current state. Hopelessly over the salary cap, knee deep in luxury tax, the Nets finally decided to cut bait on their most bloated, underperforming fish and a mutual agreement on buyout terms was agreed to with uncommon rapidity.
Deron Williams wasted no time in signing a two year $10 million deal with none other than his hometown team, the Dallas Mavericks. This is a deal that should prove beneficial for both sides involved. Deron’s salary is essentially subsidized by the buyout portion of his former Nets contract and he is able to return to his roots, while playing for a team in dire need of a point guard. Dallas, as previously stated, having just come off of the failed Rondo experiment, viewed the filling of their point guard void as rightfully, mandatory. It doesn’t hurt that in an offseason chock full of startlingly high dollars being thrown around, they were able to attain Williams on what is essentially a “show me” contract.
Deron will slot right into the starting rotation along side fellow newcomer Wes Matthews and Chandler Parsons and Dirk Nowitzki. The Mavs will be an interesting team, but nowhere near as interesting as if they had landed Deandre Jordan. Unfortunately for Dallas fans Dirk Nowitzki just isn’t the MVP he once was and is incapable of leading this team onto any sustained playoff march (No one really expects him to right?). As presently constituted, the Mavericks have the look of a one-and-done Playoff appearance team, but who knows a trade here a reemergence of a former allstar there and they could be right back in the thick of things. Deron Williams is still only 31 and the story of his resurfacing in Dallas with renewed passion and intensity is not an impossible one to be told. The question with Deron always remains, can he stay healthy? With Wes Matthews returning from an achilles tear and Nowitzki employing near negative foot speed, the Mavs will be a team to at least pay attention to. Their season goes in two directions, one prosperous and one not-so-prosperous, however, far more likely than the other. Which way they go, we’ll just have to watch and see.
