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| Deron hasn't played yet in the preseason, and is unlikely to play in tomorrow's preseason finale vs the Heat |
Earlier in the week, Brooklyn Nets franchise point guard Deron Williams played actual basketball for the first time since last season's disappointing playoff series against the Bulls. Sure, it was only a workout consisting of 5-on-5 drills, but at least it was progress of some sort, which the Nets have been begging for this whole preseason.
Deron has sat out of every game and nearly every practice the Nets have held since training camp started, all because of the nagging ankle injury that has seemingly followed him for his entire Nets stint. All four other projected Brooklyn starters (Joe, Paul, Kevin, and Brook) are fully healthy and ready to go for the season to begin, and are waiting on Deron to make Billy King's dream of a starting five a reality.
Now, there have been loads of conflicting reports thrown around in recent days regarding when D-Will is going to be able to rejoin his teammates on the floor in games that actually, so we don't really have much of a timetable to work with at all. It's not likely the injury is going to cost him a significant chunk of this season, but even if he has to miss the first couple of games (especially the November 1st home opener versus the Heat), it would be a bit of a disappointment.
But really, even if Deron missed the Nets' first six contests–and came back after November 9th and before the 13th–would it make that much of a difference? Sure, the Heat and Pacers (maybe Cavaliers) games would be really difficult with Shaun Livingston manning the point, but Brooklyn shouldn't have much of a problem dispatching the Wizards, Jazz, or Magic with a shorthanded roster.
Let's say the Nets split their first six games, beating Washington, Utah, and Orlando but losing to Miami, Indiana, and Cavaliers. Brooklyn would be at 3-3 with its star point guard and offensive and defensive general returning right before a long West Coast road trip. Talk about a momentum boost as the team transitions into one of the hardest trips of the season.
With all of this said, maybe we should calm down a bit regarding Deron's return so when he comes back, he's fully healthy with no lingering effects from his injury. Nothing would be worse for an aging team like the Nets than to have their point guard go down with a serious injury, so Deron should return based on how his ankle feels, not what the schedule says.
Six games or an entire season? Give me the entire season (minus six games) any day of the week.
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