While Dwight Howard continues to dominate the headlines, Deron Williams finds himself flying under the radar. He has quietly kept the New Jersey Nets competitive—which is not to be confused with the relevant—and faces little controversy regarding his future plans.
Williams started the season off slow, but lately, has hit the ground running, averaging 19.6 points, 8.5 assists and 1.1 steals per game. He hasn’t called out any of his teammates, nor demanded any trades and is free to keep his options open without causing an absolute uproar.
Playing in New Jersey is far from glamorous, but with an impending move to Brooklyn on the horizon, few of the remaining Nets fans could care less whether he stays or goes. After all, the team is Brooklyn’s problem soon. It also doesn’t hurt that the most dominant center in the league is making waves and naming new teams by the day he would like to play for.
Does Williams mean everything to the Nets’ future? Yes, but Dwight Howard means more to the Orlando Magic. He has been their rock for the better part of a decade, while Williams hasn’t even been in New Jersey for a year. Howard’s potential departure cripples an Orlando organization that has no cap space to look forward to, unlike the Nets.
Furthermore, you don’t need to cite anonymous sources to know that Howard and Williams are more than keen on the idea of playing with each other. Howard’s presence in New Jersey would certainly convince him to stay long term, but his absence gives the point guard a legitimate out. No one is going to chastise Williams for leaving a franchise that acquired on a whim, and then failed to put enough talent around him to win.
For Williams, his impending free agency is not so much a stress as it is an adventure and an opportunity to place himself within the best possible situation, free from criticism. The Utah Jazz dealt Williams before his saga could escalate into what Howard’s has become, and for that, Williams must be thankful.
Although the prolific point guard remains in the spotlight, his seat is not nearly as hot as the one Howard is sitting in. He has the luxury of embracing his future, not panicking about it.
Howard has to decide whether he wants to remain in Orlando or head for greener pastures now, not later. If he forces his way out now, he allows the Magic to capitalize off of his departure. Should he decide to wait, and proceed to exit stage left over the summer, Orlando is left with nothing, and Howard takes the type of public relations hit that only LeBron James can attest to surviving.
The center’s recent displays of indecisiveness amidst a state of urgency is killing both his team and his image. Howard simply doesn’t have the luxury of patience.
Williams does.
Dan Favale is an avid basketball analyst and firm believer in the three-pointer as well as the notion that defense doesn’t always win championships. His work can be found at Bleacherreport.com in addition to TheHoopDoctors.com. Follow @danfavale on Twitter for his latest posts and all things NBA.
