Real Hoops - Where There's a D-Will, There's a D-Way

It's a very rare day when it's good to be a Nets fan but today is one of those days.  Somehow, out of nowhere, Billy King, the man who once signed Kenny Thomas for something like a 45-year deal, recovered from a loss in the Carmelo Sweepstakes by nabbing Deron Williams in exchange for their starting point guard Devin Harris, last year's #3 overall pick Derrick Favors and two 2011 First Round Picks.  They traded future potential for a 26-year old, proven star.  In the words of the immortal Ice Cube - "Today Was a Good Day." (We thought about writing a column using the titles of Ice Cube movies but there all some damn stupid, we couldn't use them to make rational points.  Don't believe us, try shoehorning xXx: State of the Union in.)

We're about a cynical as it gets when it comes to sports, particularly when it comes to the our teams, but there's nothing better then the feeling of pure joy you get when you click on ESPN.com for the 499 time and watch as it loads the headline "Williams to New Jersey."  We're not ashamed to admit we did a corny little fist pump and arm raise in our cube when we read the news. 

So is this move going to rival the Jason Kidd trade in terms of putting the Nets in contention?  Only time will tell whether Williams becomes the player they can build a championship team around but acquisition of Jason Kidd in the history of the franchise, the Nets got themselves a player to build around, but for now, let's take a look at the salient points:

1.  He's (Arguably) the Best Point Guard in the League

We're in the middle of a bit of a point guard rennisance right now and everyone seems to have their preference as to who's best, but any conversation about the title of "Best Point Guard In the League" absolutely includes Williams, along with Chris Paul and Derrick Rose with Nash (age), Rondo (shooting) and Westbrook (polish) eavesdropping outside the door.  While Paul is the best distributor (and our choice when healthy) and Rose has exploded on the scene to become the most exciting, Williams probbaly possesses the best blend of size, shooting, passing and defense.  He's as steady as they come and with Paul's knee raising serious concerns about his long term viability, Williams is probably the guy you'd choose to lead your franchise if they both hit the open market in 2012.  Not only is Williams maybe the best point man in the league but ...

2.  He's Better Than Carmelo

You really can't debate that point.  Melo may be the flashier, more well-known player because of his name and scoring acumen, but people who know basketball (or so we've read) almost universally consider Williams the better, more valuable player.  From the point he controls the game without having to score (but still averages over 20 a game), makes his teammates better and uses his elite size to bully smaller opponents.  Guys who can do that are exceedingly rare.  Scorers aren't. (Need points?  Get yourself Monte Ellis or maybe Ben Gordon.)  Melo is a Top 15-20 guy, Williams is a lock in the Top 10.  By snagging a guy of that caliber ...

3.  The Nets Outmaneuvered the Knicks

We have to admit, it's kind of fun to root for a franchise that blatantly fucks with the Knicks.  The Knicks represent the old guard and the Nets, with their move to Hipster Haven, are tyring to position themselves as the "it" alternative.  Leading the way is The Big Russian putting up billboards across from MSG and vowing to take the city.  The record may not be perfect but at least they're trying.  Whether they truly wanted Melo or not (they did) they succeeded in driving up the price for the Knicks only to turn around 24 hours later and pay less to get a guy the Knicks would have preferred to have anyway.  It's like the reverse cold war.  Still, despite all the clever maneuvering ...

4.  The Nets Aren't Close

As good as Williams is, and he's excellent, the Nets aren't near contending with the current roster.  Sure, if they get a full year out of D-Will next year, they'll probably win 45 games and make the playoffs but the goal is to get banners and to do that, they'll need more talent.  Williams will undoubtedly make everyone better.  Lopez, who has underachieved this year, will benefit from much easier looks.  Anthony Morrow will thrive shooting open 3's and they might even get some offensive production from Kris Humphries, Travis Outlaw and the newly acquired Brandan Wright with Williams running the show.  But they'll need additional help all over if they're going to compete with Boston, Miami, Orlando, Chicago and even New York n the suddenly stacked east.  If Lopez blossoms into a big, big time center that lessens the gap but the front office needs to be patient in constructing a team with staying power.  They still have 3 picks in the first rounds of the next two drafts to find your reinforcements and a ton of cap room this offseason.  Unfortunately for them, the 2011 draft and free agent classes are both considered  weak so they need to avoid the urge to throw huge money at good players like Zach Randolph or David West who won't get them over the hump.  The better move is to try to rid themselves of dump contracts like the one they gave Travis Outlaw to make room for a better 2012 class or use their cap room to facilitate a trade when the right guy becomes available.  Of course, this is all easy to say now, but ...

5.  He Might Not Stay

As much as we love the deal, you can't ignore the risks, particularly the very real possibility that Williams, who is signed through next year before he can opt out, wants nothing to do with Jersey/Brooklyn and leaves. The Nets can discuss an extension starting in July but with the looming CBA changes there's not telling how that will work out.  Should D-Will take his talents to the L.A. or Manhattan, Derrick Favors (a guy who basketball people are highly divided about) develops into the next Dwight Howard and the draft picks net the Jazz Kyrie Erving and another starter, it could end up being a very expensive rental.  We're not even mentioning the potential that Avery Johnson, a good coach who is notoriously hard on point guards, grates on him to the point he wants out.  That said, there's always risk involved and ...

6. They're In Better Position Then They Were Yesterday

Guys like Williams are almost impossible to acquire.  You either draft them or get lucky enough to have the right mix of assets or cap room to make a move during those rare times when they can be pried loose.  They're White Rhinos.  We can pretty much guarantee he wasn't coming to the Nets as a free agent, so why not take the opportunity to show him up close that you are a first-class organization (don't laugh, the Mavs were a laughingstock before Cuban), treat him right, sell him on the cache of being the absolute centerpiece of the team and leading them into Brooklyn (don't underestimate the power of him feeling "ownership" of "his" team, a la Durant) and hope that's enough to get him to sign on?  It worked with Jason Kidd (and even Cliff Lee for the Phillies).  Should all that fail, maybe the new CBA has additional protections to help teams keep their players (franchise tag, anyone?)  If he stays they've won the lottery, if he balks, you trade him and recoup some of the assets you lost. (As we learned with Carmelo, there's always value with these guys, even when they only want to go one place).  Seems entirely reasonable to us. 

So today was a good day to be a Nets fan and, if things go according to plan, more could be on the way.  Maybe this time, we could actually have a chance in the Finals ....