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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) dribbles the ball against the Miami Heat during the first half at American Airlines Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 11, 2015; Miami, FL, USA; Brooklyn Nets guard Deron Williams (8) dribbles the ball against the Miami Heat during the first half at American Airlines Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports /

Final Thoughts

In his four-and-a-half seasons with the Nets, Deron Williams provided a lot more lows than highs. There was often a tale of two Derons. One was all about his family and his charity work for autism. The other Deron bothered everyone from ownership and management, to the coaching staff with his negative attitude, body language, and demeanor. A demeanor that often fans watching the games could witness. If the Nets went down early, their floor general essentially conceded the game.

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Since Nets ownership and management wanted him to be the franchise player, they often considered his opinion on roster moves. Williams once referred to himself as the “assistant general manager” to general manager Billy King, due to the significant amount of time he spent lying on the couch in King’s office. It should be noted that some of his advice to King was to not draft talents like Anthony Davis, but to trade picks for established talent because he didn’t want to spend time developing young guys.

Objectively, the Nets were a better team with Williams running the offense. A broke, negative D-Will still ran a better offense than a healthy Jarrett Jack, but buying out Williams was addition by subtraction.

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Ironically, we could thank Williams for the philosophical shift in the franchise. The Nets were so fed up with the negativity and the superstar worship that they hired Sean Marks. Since then, they have adopted a Spurs-like, Brooklyn Grit culture dedicated to developing young players with high character.
Williams appeared in 277 games (258 starts) with the Nets and averaged 16.6 points and 7.5 assists per game during his tenure.

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