Make no mistake, the Deron Williams trade to the New Jersey Nets is fact the trade of the year. Carmelo Anthony and his move to New York might be the deal capturing the most headlines, but Williams is surely going to have the most bang for its buck.

The Nets shipped lottery draft pick Derrick Favors and Devin Harris to Utah. Can anyone say steal of a deal?

Deron Williams will pair up with the best center of his career, the young and talented Brook Lopez. New Jersey was wise to not give up everything they had to acquire Williams, as New York basically did to get Melo. Favors was a talented project type, and Harris was never going to evolve into Deron Williams.

Coach Avery Johnson now has the quarterback for his team that is ideal. A rugged, tall inside-out threat who is a superb defensive player, seasoned by Jerry Sloan.

Fold into the mix a separate deal with the Golden State Warriors which ships out the disgruntled Troy Murphy and brings in defensive platoon role player Dan Gadzuric, and salvage project Brandon Wright, and the Nets literally “netted” the most in return for what was shipped out.

Seems like Mikhail Prokhorov has a plan after all, and a damn good one at that.

I am probably going to be crucified for the title of this article, but it is what I believe will end up being the truth. I truly believe that Deron Williams now has a clear path to becoming known as the NBA’s best point guard. I’ll touch on why I think this will happen later.

Jerry Sloan, an NBA legend coach, called it quits suddenly mid-season, shocking just about everyone in the NBA.

There are discrepancies encircling the true reasons that Sloan called it quits, and many point to a rift between Williams and Sloan being the main cause. Some have directly blamed Williams for “pushing” Sloan out.

The 68 year-old Sloan is a notoriously stubborn coach who has always had players do things his way, within his system, and any player whom deviated from this was usually shipped to the end of the bench, or simply shipped out of town.

Williams was an exception in that he not only managed to survive in Sloan’s highly disciplined system, but that he played a significant role during his rookie season in 2005-06. He steadily improved and managed to earn his first All-Star birth last year after years of living in the shadows of Chris Paul and Steve Nash.

Well I have news for everyone: Deron Williams is about to take over the league. For a couple of simple and straightforward reasons.

Reason number 1 why I believe that Deron Williams will finally break out in a non-Sloan situation is because Sloan’s system never allowed WIlliams to truly beat up on the smaller point guards, which, by the way, is almost every point guard in the NBA. Williams has been held back in order to facilitate Sloan’s motion offense. Well, not anymore.

Reason number 2? Interim head coach Tyrone Corbin. Corbin will have to rely heavily on Deron Williams to keep things together, and take over in order to keep the Jazz in some sort of order. If Corbin wants to continue on in Utah past this season, he will be relying heavily on Deron WIlliams to make that happen. This means Williams will be able to call the shots.

Williams has all the tools, and will likely have all red lights removed from his game. With no Sloan there to hold the reigns, I believe Williams will unleash and dominate unlike we have ever seen him do before.

If Williams can play his style of ball, not only will Utah benefit from this, but don’t be the least bit surprised if murmurs about Williams being the alpha dog of NBA point guards dont start resonating loudly.

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.

I mentioned in a previous post that I believe Deron Williams is the league’s best point guard. This year marks his first All Star team, he was a member of the “Redeem Team,” aka the US Men’s Basketball Olympic team, and his Jazz have a superior winning percentage (.625) to the Hornets (.531) and the Suns (.588).

I believe Williams would have already been recognized as the leagues best had he played for a team like Phoenix or New Orleans. Playing in a high discipline system like Jerry Sloan’s, you can expect someone to not put up huge numbers, as team basketball comes first and foremost. If not, you will find yourself on the pine.

Move over boys, I am ready to take over. (Credit: picapp.com)

Williams is bigger and stronger than any other point guard in the league. He is built to last. Paul just had his first major injury this year, a torn meniscus. Once knee problems start, there is no true prediction as to when they will end.

Sure a knee injury such as CP3′s was a mere fluke, but logging as many minutes as he does has to take a toll on his body.

Williams, speaking purely from a Darwinist view,  is just the more naturally fit to last longer in the NBA.

Can you honestly believe Deron Williams would not have mind-blowing, huge numbers if he played in New Orleans?

Other than David West, and Okafor, who do they have? Stojakovic is playing with a broken back, and everyone else is nothing special. Williams would encounter a similar if not better statistical inflation than Paul has.

Would Chris Paul have the same numbers he does now if he played in Utah? That is a thought worth entertaining.

I am not trying to discredit CP3, I am simply writing this to state that now that CP3 is down and out for a bit, look for Williams name to surface at the top of the NBA point guard elite.

There are 7 players making their first ever all star appearance during the 2010 NBA All Star Game: Deron Williams, Kevin Durant, Al Horford, Derrick Rose, Rajon Rondo, Gerald Wallace, and Zack Randolph.

Those noteworthy, yet snubbed, include David Lee of the Knicks, Chris Kaman of the Clippers, and Mo Williams of the Cavaliers. Better luck next season guys!

DERON WILLIAMS

Deron Williams joins fellow Olympian Kobe Bryant in Dallas. (Credit: picapp.com)

Deron Williams is long overdue. He had a legitimate grief for not being named to the game for the past two years. They finally got it right! I might be biased, but that is because I think Deron Williams is the best point guard in the business. No disrespect to Steve Nash or Chris Paul, but when I see Williams play, I feel he is more of a pure point like Nash, but has the ability to overtake a game like Paul. Only time will tell if I am right or not, but Williams size and strength play to his favor over Paul over the long haul. KEVIN DURANT

Sorry David, your All Star chances are "Rejected!" (Credit: picapp.com)

Kevin Durant is not only deserving of an All Star nod, but people should seriously consider putting his name in the MVP hat this year. He is playing brilliant basketball, has a current of 19 games with 25 points or more, his team is a respectable 24-21 and tinkering on the brink of playoff contention.

More importantly, Durant has focused on defense, and as he told me during this twitter interview, and is committed to working hard to improve on every facet of his game. His off season work has proven to be effective this year as his defense is vastly improved this season.

AL HORFORD

Horford's relentless hustle earned him an All-Star appearance. (Credit: picapp.com)

Al Horford is the quiet force in the middle for the Atlanta Hawks. He is one of the most athletic, self sacrificing big men in the NBA today. He might have lower statistical output than David Lee, but coaches understand how good Horford is. He is a walking talking double-double who would be putting up crazy numbers if he got to play his natural position, power forward. Plus, it never hurts your chances if your team has a winning record of 29-15. David Lee knows the Knicks suck, and if anyone on a losing team deserves an All Star bid it’s Monta Ellis of the Golden State Warriors. DERRICK ROSE

Rose is emerging as one of the leagues best in his 2nd season. (Credit: picapp.com)

Derrick Rose is the Chicago Bulls lately. He has shaken off residuals from his preseason ankle injury while steadily increasing his scoring from 16.2 in November to 23.5 in January. The result is  a 9-5 record thus far during January.

There are few players in the league that possess the “all-in-one” game that Rose has. He will defend his skills challenge this year during the all star weekend as well. I would not be too surprised to see a slam dunk contest in his future. The dude can fly.

RAJON RONDO

It's plays like this that make Rondo an All Star. (Credit: picapp.com)

Rajon Rondo has been an All-Star since day one of the NBA season. He is a vicious defender, leads the league in steals, and is only 0.3 APG away from averaging a double-double on the season. Rondo is on an elite Celtics team in the East, and he is an integral role of the team being so. His selection comes as no shocker. GERALD WALLACE

Wallace joins Duncan among the leagues elite stars. (Credit: picapp.com)

Simple fact: Gerald Wallace is a downright nasty basketball player. He rebounds (11.0 RPG), scores (18.6), and is an all-around stat machine (1.9 APG, 1.6 SPG, and 1.2 BPG). With the Bobcats contending for the playoffs, Wallace is a extremely deserving All Star. An winning argument could be made for him being an all star for a few years now. Now that Charlotte is winning, Wallace finally gets the nod.

You will also be able to see his insane dunking ability in the 2010 NBA Sprite Slam Dunk Competition.

ZACH RANDOLPH

Randolph has revived his career in Memphis. (Credit: picapp.com)

Last, but certainly not least, is Zach Randolph. Randolph has had a stigma surrounding him his entire career. He has been considered a distraction, selfish, or a long list or other words I dare not type, by teammates, coaches, and fans alike.

This year Randolph appears to have matured, taken the Grizzlies under his wing, and is making Memphis a team nobody wants to play. They currently rank 7th in the Western Conference playoff standings, and if San Antonio does not get it together soon, the Griz might rise higher before the end of the season.

While watching the Jazz vs. Spurs game on ESPN tonight, the game that I considered to be the game of the week, I discovered that Utah Jazz sensational point guard Deron Wiliams is refusing to shave his beard until the Utah Jazz win 5 consecutive games, according to Dan Shulman’s statements during the game. Shulman was talking about this statement Williams made:

“I won’t lose it,” he said, running fingers and a thumb over the facial hair. “I’ll probably just trim it a little bit, at least.”

Baron Davis had better be prepared to have his ridiculously enormous beard outdone by Williams. Either that or he could end up looking too similar to Kimbo Slice (the person whose beard we used for the photo below).

5 wins in a row or its the bearded D Will show!

In all seriousness, a 5-game winning streak during the second half of the year is possible, but with the playoff hunt in full effect, it is anyones game on any night. Upsets happen, and Utah has the potential to be at the losing end of an upset as mush as anybody else.

The longest win streak the Jazz have had this year, thus far, are two 4-game winning streaks on November 26-December 4th, losing at  Minnesota, 108-101, before the Jazz could win the fifth game straight.

The Jazz had 4 in a row through January 9th- 16th. The Jazz lost at Denver, 119-112, to snap the streak on January 17th. In retrospect, the Minnesota game should have Deron scratching his beard for some time to come.

In Williams’ defense the Jazz have come close twice. However, it doesn’t look like he will be trimming his beard this month, based on the Jazz’s schedule. They will host New Jersey (1/23/10) and Phoenix (1/25/10), so they could be on a 3-game streak heading into February.

FEBRUARY

Utah starts this month against Dallas, Portland, and Denver. The upcoming schedule has them facing off with Portland at the Rose Garden on the 27th.  It is extremely difficult for teams to win in Portland, hence, the beard should continue to grow and the streak will be reset, in theory.

The beard should be rather beastly by this point. Utah then hits the road for the next 4 games. 4 road games in a row rarely translates into 4 wins in a row.  At this point I will be itching to order my own custom Utah jersey, number 8, with the name “Kimbo” on the back to replace “Wiliams.”

MARCH

March represents the best opportunity for Utah to win 5 consecutive games. Specifically, March 10th-17th. This stretch starts in Detroit, and ends at home in Salt Lake City against Minnesota.

The only team I feel has a legitimate chance of upsetting this streak is Oklahoma City. OKC plays extremely hard at home, and Kevin Durant’s squad is on the rise in general. In a month from now, OKC might have evolved into something monstrous and that the Jazz cannot contain.

APRIL

The biggest factor  this month will be where the Jazz are currently standing in the playoff race at this point. If a favorable spot is secured, as 6th or higher,  look for Jerry Sloan to play his bench more, and rest his stars so they are fresh for the playoffs.

If the Jazz’s season actually pans out like predicted in this piece, Deron Williams will be looking more like Santa Claus than he does Baron Davis by the end of the regular season.

]]> http://protectthepaint.com/2010/01/20/deron-williams-growing-beard-until-jazz-win-5-straight/feed/ 4 http://protectthepaint.com/2010/01/20/utah-jazz-vs-san-antonio-spurs-nba-game-of-the-week/ http://protectthepaint.com/2010/01/20/utah-jazz-vs-san-antonio-spurs-nba-game-of-the-week/#comments Thu, 21 Jan 2010 01:46:05 +0000 Adam Sedie http://protectthepaint.com/?p=3639

The Utah Jazz (23-18) take a 3-0 season-series lead into San Antonio (25-15) tonight to test the Spurs at the AT&T Center for the second time this year. The last time the Jazz played in San Antonio they defeats the Spurs 113-99. The Spurs kept it closer the last time they met up, but lost nonetheless 104-101. The game airs live nationally tonight on ESPN at 9:00 PM EST.

Which Spurs team wil show up tonight? (Credit: picapp.com)

The game tonight features a Spurs team has been slowly beginning to play up to its potential, however, they have gone 4-3 over their last 7. It is tough to determine which version of the Spurs will show up on any random night, as one night they can pummel the Lakers by 20, then 6 days later they can lose to a team like Memphis. Nothing against Memphis, but they are a weak team defensively, and not in the same breath as the Lakers.

Will the games Tim Duncan misses to preserve his knees for the playoffs cause him to be too rusty to score 15 points and eclipse the career 20,000 point mark? Will Manu Ginobili show up to play tonight or will he lay a bunch of bricks?

The Jazz has played well of late going 5-2 over the last 7 games, beating Dallas and Cleveland during that span. Deron Williams has been battling through the pain of a sprained right wrist while Andrei Kirilenko is recovering from a hyper extended knee.  Either player can be one drive to the basket, or a steal attempt away from sitting on the bench with a bag of ice.

The outcome of this game will depend on which version of the Spurs show up tonight versus the health of Williams and Kirilenko, players vital to Utah’s chances of winning. If the Spurs team that walked over the Lakers show up, it will not matter much if Utah is at full strength or not. If the Spurs play the way they did when they lost to Memphis, A depleted Utah team could walk away as the winner.

The Oklahoma City Thunder acquired Eric Maynor along with Matt Harping’s contract  in exchange for the rights to 2002 draft pick forward Peter Fehse. Fehse is in Germany with zero chance of ever playing in the NBA, but gives Utah much needed salary cap relief. The Thunder plan to allow insurance policies to pay the majority of Harpring’s salary.

Oklahoma City Waived Shaun Livingston and Mike Wilks to create space on the roster.

Eric Maynor revs up the PG depth for OKC. (Credit: dallythunder.com)

Eric Maynor has impressed this season and will secure long-term depth at the point guard behind Russell Westbrook. He averaged 18.5 PPG and 7.5 APG in 2 games as a replacement starter while Deron Williams was out, proving he is a viable option to step in should Westbrook go down with an injury.

This deal is a brilliant move by Sam Presti, whom dealt draft picks last year to acquire defensive stalwart Thabo Sefolosha from the Chicago Bulls. Presti is flexing his cap space to hand-pick key young talented components to build around Westbrook, Kevin Durant, and Jeff Green.

The Maynor trade represents the first transaction for salary alleviation by Utah to offset matching Portland’s offer to Paul Millsap during the offseason.

Dumping Harpring’s salary removes $6 million off the books. It is unlikely Harpring will ever join the Oklahoma City thunder. He recently announced he wouldn’t pursue a comeback this year after dealing with infection in his leg after having surgery.

Utah will save up to $10 Million total from the deal.

This must come as a liberating start through Eric Maynor’s eyes. He was not going to get any significant run in Utah behind Deron Williams.

Look for Utah to continue wheeling and dealing, with Carlos Boozer or Mehmet Okur likely to be the next players traded to facilitate more salary cap room. With Chicago floundering wildly in the East, look for talks of Calros Boozer for Tyrus Thomas with a combination of leftover discussions to rekindle soon.

The Chicago Bulls put on an impressive display in yesterdays preseason game vs the Utah Jazz in London’s O2 Arena. Pundits are all saying Boston Celtics this, Cleveland Cavaliers that, and Orlando will be in it for the Eastern Conference Championship, but folks should not overlook the Chicago Bulls. They played tough last year in the playoffs, and should only be better this season.

Sure it was the preseason, but there are some strong indications that the Bulls are a team that nobody can afford to fall asleep on this year. And here are some reasons why.

Deng looks deng good. (Credit: AP)

Luol Deng appears to have no lingering affects from his injuries. He dropped in 18 points on 8-12 shooting in just 25 minutes. It is beyond imperative that the Bulls have a healthy Deng in their lineup this season. If he is capable of playing the way he did before he signed his gigantic contract in 2007 the Bulls will cause major match up issues. WIth Ben Gordon gone, look for Deng’s and everyone’s numbers to increase as unselfish ball will return to Chicago.

Rookies James Johnson and Taj Gibson are a lot better than people think. James Johnson reminds me of Tyrus Thomas, but seems to have a clue about making drives to the basket, drawing contact,  and making monstrous dunks.

Both Gibson and Johnson had 2 impressive blocked shots apiece. This bodes well for the Bulls. Their second unit will not drop off in attacking the rim either defensively or offensively.

The Bulls played well without Derrick Rose and John Salmons. Kirk Hinrich and Jannero Pargo started in the backcourt and combined for 27 points shooting 10-21 from the field and 9 assists. More impressive was the combined 5-8 from 3point range.

So when Rose and Salmons rest, the Bulls have offensive weapons to make sure there is little to no drop off.

Joakim Noah played out of his mind defensively. His 6 blocked shots in 26 minutes was nothing less than unreal. Once he sits, Brad Miller will take over, making life hell for the opposition’s second unit center with his savvy arsenal of crafty moves and passing skills. They might appear in slow motion, but they are highly effective.

If Chicago continues to meld together the way they played last night, only good things can be on their horizon.

James Johnson will lead the second unit in Chicago (Credit: AP)

Albeit it only a preseason game, the Utah Jazz always play hard under Jerry Sloan.

The Bulls should be very happy with how they performed, and what they have heading into this season. A ton of youth, depth at every position, and a dash of veteran experience make for a dangerous NBA recipe.

A warning to all NBA teams: do not fall asleep on the Bulls, or you will most likely experience a harsh awakening.

Every NBA season sees a few guys break out. Players that finally got the chance to get the necessary minutes to put up legit stats and took advantage of the opportunity. Jeff Green of the Oklahoma City Thunder and Kelenna Azubuike of the Golden State Warriors were these type of players from this past season. Green went from 28 to nearly 37 minutes a game upping his average from 10.5 to 16.5 ppg. Azubuike’s minute total went from 21 to 32 and he took advantage upping his points per game average from 8.5 to 14.4. We at Protect the Paint will now give you Part 1 of the Top 10 Under-the-Radar Breakout Players of 2009-10.

Can Amir win Skiles over and earn playing time? (Credit: picapp.com)

10. Amir Johnson F/C Milwaukee Bucks: Only 22, but has been in the league since 2005 buried on the Pistons bench with some time in the D-League. Seldom had the chance to incur the growing pains a young player needs in order to develop—he never got the necessary minutes. Johnson should see plenty of time in Milwaukee under coach Scott Skiles who will appreciate his defensive effort. Look for Amir to round out his game and see an upward swing in production in the first quarter of the season. That is, if Skiles lets him play through his mistakes.

Dj White will prove the pundits wrong this season. (Credit: picapp.com)

9. D.J. White F Oklahoma City Thunder: The former Big 10 Player of the Year came into the league last season, but his rookie year was delayed five months after undergoing surgery on his jaw to remove a benign growth. Played six games in the D-League before debuting for the Thunder in April. Played in only seven games but immediately proved he could play against NBA talent scoring 8.9 points with 4.6 rebounds in just over 18 minutes per game. Should fit right into the Thunder rotation for 2009-10 as one of the first players off Scott Brooks’ bench.

A bigger stronger Brewer could explode this season. (Credit: dimemag.com)

8. Corey Brewer G/F Minnesota Timberwolves: Bulked up about 15 pounds while rehabbing his surgically repaired ACL which was a necessity considering he was listed last year at just 185 lbs. which wasn’t much for a player standing 6’9”. Has been working on what his game lacks most, shooting. If Brewer can raise his offensive game to match his defensive tenacity, he will be well on his way to becoming the player Minnesota thought he was when they selected him with the 7th pick of the 2007 Draft. We will get the first glimpse of Brewer’s new frame and skills starting today when the Las Vegas portion of the NBA Summer League begins.

Will Rudy get the minutes to break out this year? (Credit: picapp.com)

7. Rudy Fernandez G Portland Trailblazers: The decorated European star had an excellent first season in the NBA last year in the Pacific Northwest setting the rookie record for most three-pointers made (159), but has just scratched the surface of realizing his potential. If he gets more than the 25 minutes per game he averaged last season, the Spaniard could explode into one of the top players in the league. Recent rumors of his unhappiness after Portland’s failed attempt to sign Hedo Turkoglu could result in Fernandez being included in any potential deal in the making.

Regardless of where Thomas ends up, will he live up to his hype? (Credit: picapp.com)

6. Tyrus Thomas F Chicago Bulls: Overdue for his breakout year—showed flashes of his superstar potential. If Thomas can stop his love affair with the jump shot and continuously attack the rim, his point per game total will dramatically increase. He is a solid free throw shooter (78% last year) and by getting to the rim he could up his scoring average to 18-20 points. If he can stay on the court for 35 minutes a game Thomas should produce All-Star caliber numbers. Anything less would be a real let down. Rumored to be part of a deal that would send him to Utah with Carlos Boozer coming to Chicago.

Check back tomorrow to find the top 5 in our NBA Top 10 Under-The-Radar Breakout Players of 2009-10: Part 2