Player Spotlight: Deron Williams

Despite his Jazz losing to LA at home yesterday to lose their series 4-2, I was very impressed with Deron Williams yesterday.

(What took you so long?)

Well, to clarify: I’ve been impressed with Williams basically since the second-half of his rookie year when he broke through the Sloan gauntlet – winning his trust – and established himself as an up-and-comer. But yesterday, I saw some great stuff from the third-year PG.

In the first quarter, LA surged to a 26-12 lead, and on the next Jazz possession, Williams, ever so determined, took Derek Fisher off the dribble, took it up on two LA bigs, and finished a very tough lay-up. At a time when nothing was going right to Utah, it stood out to me as significant.

In the second, Lamar Odom jammed home off a nice feed from K.O.B.E and extended the Lakers lead to 45-30. Williams came down and pulled up for a 25-footer. Cash. Once again, at a time when LA was looking to blow this game out, Williams seemed unfazed.

From the point it was 89-74 (LA) early in the fourth, until a Andrei Kirilenko three that made it 105-103 in the final minutes, Williams either scored or assisted on every non-FT score (a total of 27 points) for Utah. Think about that. He had eight assists total in that eight minute stretch, and five points, as Utah cut a 15-point lead to three.

Of course, it wasn’t enough.

But his poise was – dare I say – reminiscent of the guy whose statue sits directly outside Energy Solutions Arena in Salt Lake. (Calm down, I didn’t say it.) However, the Jazz have something special. In what will be remembered as The Paul Draft (or the Marvin Williams Draft, depending on how many speak with a tongue in their cheek) of 2005, the Jazz came out with a guy in Williams who they have to build around.

Lost amid the Year of Paul, Williams was All-NBA second team. His 18.8 points and 10.5 assists per game on a 54-win team is eerily similar to a certain 2006 MVP from Phoenix (you know who I’m talking about), who averaged 18.8 points and 10.5 assists on a 54-win team two years ago. He also holds the unofficial title as The Only Guy On The Planet Who Has Had Any Success Stopping Chris Paul – can we abbreviate that?

And you never hear this when people are frothing at the mouth over Paul – or speaking about Williams, for that matter – but these guys are playing the toughest position in the NBA, so to be doing what they are, at this age, is mind-blowing.

Anyway, even though Williams lost Game 6 yesterday, I saw some amazing qualities. Qualities we’re gonna enjoy for many years.