NBA Player Rankings: Listing the 10-Best Point Guards In the NBA
9. Deron Williams, Brooklyn Nets
May 4, 2013; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Brooklyn Nets point guard Deron Williams (8) shoots as Chicago Bulls shooting guard
Marco Belinelli(8) defends in game seven of the first round of the 2013 NBA Playoffs at the Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Debby Wong-USA TODAY Sports
Only a few years ago were there strong talks of Deron Williams versus Chris Paul for the title of best point guard in the league, but after receiving the moniker of being a “coach killer” and forcing his way out of Utah, Williams has fallen out of the good graces of the general public.
Williams is a takeover-type point guard, meaning he will get his 20-plus points every game, but depending on who’s surrounding him on the floor, he can also get 10-plus assists a night. The Nets keep making all these major moves to put elite players around Williams, but the success of the Nets lies entirely on Williams’ shoulders.
Although he wouldn’t admit it, it was clear that Williams was hurt in the first half of the 2012-13 season, because his production took a massive jump once he got healthy towards the end of the season. It didn’t translate to playoff success, but the Nets made major moves to put themselves in title contention next season with the acquisitions of Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett.