Which Passport is Deron Williams Bringing?

So it looks like many fans of the Brooklyn Nets got exactly what they wanted- a first round date with the Toronto Raptors.  Obviously this is a more talented group representing the borough in this year’s playoffs, as a second round meeting with the Miami Heat seems inevitable.  If you read my most recent post, [Noooooooo Canada? ] then you are well aware of my concerns of facing the Atlantic Division Champions.

There are many key matchups that will factor into how this series will play out.  The ability of Andrei Kirilenko and Shaun Livingston to defend the athletic duo of DeMar DeRozan and Terrence Ross will be as important as the Brooklyn front line being as physical as Jonas Valanciunas and Amir Johnson.  Although these matchups will be crucial, the individual battle between point guards Deron Williams and Kyle Lowry is perhaps the one that will determine which team advances to the next round.

Will this match up determine who advances?

Yes, this Nets team has shifted its leadership to Paul Pierce; however, when it all boils down to it, the success of the team still hinges upon Williams’s performance.  For that reason, a lot is at stake for him.

When he signed his maximum contract to remain with the organization, it was his decision to become the face of the franchise.  Years from now, will his name and face be remembered for the right or wrong reasons in the minds of Net fans?

As it has already been documented, his level of performance has taken a serious dip in comparison to his playing days with the Utah Jazz.  His averages this season in scoring (14.3 ppg) and assists (6.1 apg) are his lowest since his rookie year (10.8 & 4.5).  It’s not the declining numbers that have been so frustrating, but the lack of will and fight within.  Nets’ fans are too accustomed to seeing Deron hobble around, wince in pain, hang his head, or shrug his shoulders when things don’t seem to be going his way.  For a “superstar” talent, too many underwhelming efforts are turned in.

One has to wonder how damaging a lackluster performance will be to Williams’s legacy in Brooklyn if the team is eliminated in this opening round – especially if he doesn’t play well.  Pierce and Kevin Garnett may be the heart and soul, but Deron is still the brain and life blood of the team.  He is the one who has the ball in his hands and runs the offense.  His decisions seem to have the greatest impact on the outcome of the game.

An early exit could doom his legacy in Brooklyn.

Even though it was seven years ago, Williams has already demonstrated in his career that he can put a team on his back and carry them deep into the postseason.  During the 2007 playoffs, he helped lead Utah to the Western Conference Finals before bowing out to the eventual league champion, San Antonio Spurs.

In that postseason, Williams averaged 19.2 points and 8.6 assists per game while battling with Tony Parker and Baron Davis.  Despite the fact that his team was eliminated in five games during the conference finals, Williams did produce averages of 25.8 points and 7.8 assists per game against the eventual champs.  Would you call those numbers “superstar” quality?  I certainly would!

So where did that guy go?  Have we just been watching “Nored” the past few seasons? You know, the bizarro Deron.  How else can you explain the schizophrenic play on the court?

Nored is the guy who avoids taking over the game and consistently gets outplayed by lesser talented point guards.  He makes little effort to defend his opponent.  Nored was the guy who missed those two free throws late against the Heat recently, which almost cost the team a victory.  He makes inexcusable decisions too frequently.  It was he who botched that inbounds pass against the Raptors, which led to that crushing defeat.  Nored is the guy who doesn’t seem to hold himself accountable for anything and finds any excuse when convenient.

If there was a bizarro Superman, why can’t there be one for Deron?

Although the Nets and Raptors split the regular season series, Williams only appeared in the last two contests, both in Brooklyn.  In case you weren’t aware, both Deron and Nored were on full display during those games.

In the Raptors’ 104-103 victory, Lowry showed that in DeRozan’s absence, he could shoulder the scoring load and take over the game.  When the going got tough, Nets Nation witnessed Deron  Nored choke under the pressure by throwing away that inbounds pass in the final seconds.  A secure lead was squandered, and the hangover triggered a losing streak.

Here are the statistics from that January 27^th game:

In the Nets’ 101-97 victory, Brooklyn found themselves trailing by double digits early in the first half but rallied to defeat their divisional foes.  At first glance, it appeared that Lowry was the better point guard on that night, but Deron facilitated an offense which saw five players reach double figures in scoring.  This game also marked one of the few times during his brief tenure with the organization where he displayed a genuine passion. The Nets held off the Raptors surge and the feel good victory carried over into the next game when Brooklyn went down to South Beach and defeated a motivated Miami team.

Check out the numbers from that March 10^th victory:

In last year’s playoff series with the Chicago Bulls, the Nets saw Nate Robinson bully their backcourt.  Lowry is similar to Robinson in that he’s the type of player who plays with tremendous passion and energy.  He will most likely get under the skin of the Net players as well as the fan base.  He plays with the hunger that Net fans could only dream Deron consistently had.

A welcoming sight for Net fans everywhere.

So when Lowry goes to take Deron’s lunch money, will the Nets’ guard stand his ground or shy away from the confrontation?   Usually your franchise player isn’t supposed to be your “x-factor” but this is the unfortunate reality that the Nets have had to live with.

Williams has a chance to fix his reputation with a strong showing in these playoffs. That opportunity begins this Saturday afternoon at the Air Canada Centre.  The question is: whose passport will be getting stamped as the Nets are passing through customs – Deron or Nored’s?