The Opposite Paths of Deron Williams and Paul Millsap
It feels like such a long time since Deron Williams has dominated the playoffs but in actuality it has only been five years. Nevertheless, five years can take you from the top of a very rocky NBA hill and slide you all the way to the bottom.
The near bottom is where Deron Williams finds himself this year as he begins his playoff run. He is posting career lows, shooting 38%, averaging 13 points per game, his three point shooting efficient, his two point shooting god-awful. He has lost the mid-range accuracy that made him versatile. He is a 30 minute player now, a far cry from what he used to be five years ago when he logged 37 minutes a game. Deron Williams, the leader, has now become Deron Williams, the ghost, and Deron Williams, the afterthought.
Five years ago, in 2009-10, Deron Williams was brilliantly effective as he guided the Utah Jazz to the second round of the NBA Playoffs. A lesson in how quickly things change was Williams beloved status among the NBA intelligentsia back then. He was considered the best point guard in the NBA or if not the best, he was even with Chris Paul, and to some critics, a tad bit better in 2010. He had explosion and a finish around the rim and a nice jumper. His physical body could create post up nightmares.
During the playoff season of 2009-10, Deron Williams averaged 24 points and 10 assists. He had a 41% assist percentage, meaning 4 out of 10 shots were made possible because of Williams ability to make plays for his Utah teammates. In that playoff year, Williams made 70% of his mid-range shots which caused defenders confusion. If they closed in, he would drive around them with his quick first step. If they gave him space, he would drill an open jumper. He was unguardable.
Apr 15, 2015; Chicago, IL, USA; Atlanta Hawks forward Paul Millsap (4) controls the ball against the Chicago Bulls during the first quarter at the United Center. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports
Paul Millsap has always been the Deron Williams opposite. He didn’t attend high school in a large southern city like Dallas. He wasn’t in the NCAA National Championship game. He wasn’t a lottery pick and he was never slotted to be a superstar and wasn’t instantly beloved by the media. He didn’t have to worry about falling from grace. Millsap was never considered a necessary member of the NBA ecosystem of genetically talented stars who are given the benefit of the doubt. No one every anointed Millsap before he achieved anything.
Perhaps because of his tenacity and Louisiana roots, Millsap instantly reminded everyone of Karl Malone. He was relentless in the paint and on the boards, playing with a single minded intensity and focus and physicality that was at times frightening in its grit. Millsap’s on court expression distinguished him from his peers. He wasn’t out there to make friends or highlights but to impact the game with his ability to track the ball and make plays down low.
It’s hard to find another more diametrically opposed Deron Williams opposite than Paul Millsap. But there they were, teammates. In 2009-10, it wasn’t just a great playoff run for Deron Williams but for Paul Millsap too. In a game against Denver, Millsap played 33 minutes and had 19 rebounds. He added 23 points to the cause, shooting 78%. One week later, in the closeout game, Millsap had 11 rebounds, 21 points, shooting 63%.
He repeated his brilliance against the Lakers where he went up against the taller and more skilled Pau Gasol. In game two of the series, in L.A., he had 26 points and 11 rebounds. The Jazz were swept but Millsap and Williams were considered the backbone of the Utah Jazz, the pieces to build around.
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The following season, when Carlos Boozer left to go to Chicago, Paul Millsap became the starting power forward for the Utah Jazz. The third game of the year, in Oklahoma City, Millsap had 30 points, 16 rebounds and 6 assists. A week later he played 41 minutes, had 25 points and 13 rebounds.
The next game began a four game Jazz road trip. In Miami, guarded by Chris Bosh, Millsap scored a career high 46 points in an overtime game as he dominated the Miami Heat. He drilled consecutive three pointers and hit a buzzer beater to send the game into overtime. His three point shots were eye- opening since he had not attempted very many in his career. It made people wonder: who was Paul Millsap?
Mar 16, 2015; Sacramento, CA, USA; Atlanta Hawks forward Paul Millsap (4) runs up the court against the Sacramento Kings during the fourth quarter at Sleep Train Arena. The Atlanta Hawks defeated the Sacramento Kings 110-103. Mandatory Credit: Ed Szczepanski-USA TODAY Sports
This is who Paul Millsap is. He has been the cornerstone of the Atlanta Hawks franchise the past two years. He kept the waters smooth after Al Horford’s torn pectoral muscle. He expanded his game to include the three point shot but more importantly to do whatever it takes to win. He’s been a two time All-Star since he left the Utah Jazz, catapulting his former team into lottery hell. He has transformed in the way NBA players are expected to do as they mature, growing in their ability to play the game as the game itself has altered its own spacing rules.
When Millsap came into the league in 2006 the game was inside out and now the game is outside in and he can play both ways, both styles.
In the same time frame in which Paul Millsap has grown, evolved, become a trusted leader, Deron Williams has been a disaster. His first coach in Brooklyn, Avery Johnson, was fired. It was Williams second go round on the star-player-gets-the-coach-fired bus and that particular baggage will hang onto him until he finds a way to erase it. Ankle injuries have marred what was a perfectly aligned career that is now going in the wrong direction. So many point guards are better than Deron Williams now. You can no longer count them on one hand. Chris Paul. Steph Curry. Damian Lillard. Jeff Teague. Russell Westbrook. Mike Conley. Derrick Rose. Ty Lawson. Eric Bledsoe. Rajon Rondo. It is as if a generation has already passed him by.
Last year in the playoffs, in a game against Miami, Deron Williams had a few minutes on the court that symbolized this new average-at-basketball narrative. Williams went 0-9, which seemed to mean something, at least Kobe Bryant thought so.
"“I would go 0-30 before I went 0-9. 0-9 means you beat yourself, you psyched yourself out of the game because Deron Williams can get more shots in the game. The only reason is because you’ve just lost confidence in yourself.”"
Has Deron Williams lost confidence? Has the two time gold medalist, the three time All-Star, faded from view for good? Yes, says Paul Pierce.
"“Before I got there (Brooklyn), I looked at Deron as a MVP candidate. But, I felt once we got there that’s not what he wanted to be, he just didn’t want that. I think a lot of the pressure got to him sometimes. This was the first time in the national spotlight. The media in Utah is not the same as the media in New York, so that can wear on some people. I think it really affected him.”"
There is a sobering truth in all of this, in how careers can trend up or down dependent upon the opportunity, market, success and ability to dominate your position and navigate adversity. Inversions can change perceptions to the point that it is hard to remember the no-longer-great-player’s fantastic moments.
Five years ago, no one would have thought Paul Millsap would have the better career, would be more versatile and skilled than Deron Williams, would have more of an opportunity to string together NBA Titles, or, that Deron Williams, as a point guard, would be one of those illusions that show up every now and then.
But, when things change they can change in a fast and furious hurry, so fast it takes a moment to realize things are not the same, not what they were supposed to be, not what you think.
Paul Millsap is not the same player, he is better. Deron Williams is not the same player, he is worse. It only means that the Atlanta Hawks have an incredible advantage over the Brooklyn Nets in the first round of the playoffs.