Is Deron Williams NBA’s best Point Guard?
Deron Williams has always been my vote for the NBA’s best overall point guard. In game 2 of the first round of the Western Conference Playoffs he put his team on his back, and without starters Andrei Kirilenko and Mehmet Okur, led the Utah Jazz to a 114-111 win in Denver. The Jazz tied the series 1-1, with Williams scoring 33 points on 7-14 shooting with 14 assists.
With the Jazz heading back to Salt Lake City for the next 2 games, Williams’ stellar play gave the Jazz the shift in momentum to carry over and capitalize on with home court advantage for games 3 and 4.
Williams led the Jazz to steal game 2 in Denver
Deron Williams has elevating his game to a higher level than we have ever seen before. I firmly believe this season marks his ascension into the position as the NBA’s best overall point guard. If he continues leading the shorthanded Jazz to victory over the Nuggets, it will be extraordinarily difficult to argue.
Some people, of course, will immediately argue that Steve Nash and Chris Paul are higher on the food chain, the so-called alpha dogs, but I beg to differ. No discredit or disrespect to Nash or Paul, after all, as they are both perennial All-Stars.
Nash is a 2-time MVP. And even though Nash does age like a rare vintage, once his motor slows down, his game will decline swiftly.
Which brings us to Williams. He is a monster, plain and simple. At 6’3″ and a solid 210 pounds, he has the frame to basically beast inside and can do what neither Nash or Paul can: dominate smaller guards while taking punishment in the paint like no other guard in the league can.
Nash or Paul have a chance this deep in the paint vs. Birdman?
Albeit Deron Williams just received his first All Star nod this season, we must acknowledge that Williams has played superbly throughout his career while doing so within the confines of an extremely-disciplined-Jerry-Sloan-controlled system. It’s logical to argue that Nash and CP3 might not share the same succeed that Williams has within Sloan’s tight-wound system.
If you viewed the 2010 NBA All Star game, you witnessed Deron Williams unleash his athleticism and an aggressive, above the rim style of play most people were unaware of.
This talent is something we do not see on a regular basis as a member of the Jazz. As much as I love Steve Nash and CP3, I believe this All Star game helped us all catch a glimpse of how much of a self-sacrificing, natural “true point guard” Williams is. If the Jazz continue further into the playoffs, Williams will be the the catalyst that brings them there.
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Tue, Apr 20, 2010 by Adam Sedie
NBA Playoffs, News, Opinions