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Dimes and Disappointment: Deron Williams and the Brooklyn Nets

By Charles Daye

Feb 28, 2015; Dallas, TX, USA; Brooklyn Nets guard Deron Williams (8) smiles from the court prior to the game against the Dallas Mavericks at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 28, 2015; Dallas, TX, USA; Brooklyn Nets guard Deron Williams (8) smiles from the court prior to the game against the Dallas Mavericks at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports /
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Mar 11, 2015; Miami, FL, USA; Brooklyn Nets guard Deron Williams (8) looks on during the second half against the Miami Heat at American Airlines Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 11, 2015; Miami, FL, USA; Brooklyn Nets guard Deron Williams (8) looks on during the second half against the Miami Heat at American Airlines Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports /

 The Fall Off

2014-15 was D-Will’s final season with the franchise. He started off hot, earning Eastern Conference Player of the Week (November 3 through November 9), his first time winning the honor as a Net. Williams got injured in December and lost his starting spot to Jarrett Jack, who head coach Lionel Hollins favored over Williams.

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Hollins and Williams had a very tumultuous relationship, to say the least. Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News reported that Williams had to be restrained from going after Hollins around the All-Star break. Apparently, Williams met up with Hollins to express his dissatisfaction with his coaching, and Hollins is known to be brutally honest.

Williams averaged a career-low 13 points and 6.6 assists per game for the 2014-15 season. The Nets went back into the playoffs with a pitiful 38-44 record. Despite their near altercation, Hollins defended his point guard’s play to the New York media. Hollins called Williams “a good person” and “a good player,” and criticized the media for having too high of expectations for his play.

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The Nets went on to lose in six games to the 60-win Atlanta Hawks. D-Will had arguably his best playoff performance during Game Four in Brooklyn. Besides that game, it was otherwise the worst playoff appearance of his career, as he averaged a career-low 11.8 points and 5.5 assists per game for the postseason. However, he did record a career postseason high in rebounds, averaging 6.2 per game.

On July 11, 2015, the Brooklyn Nets officially waived Deron Williams. The Nets bought out the remaining two years, $40-plus million of his contract. Williams would sign with his hometown Dallas Mavericks, the only other team he even considered signing with four-and-a-half years prior.