Father time is undefeated but sometimes he strikes a little too soon. That has been the case with former Illinois basketball point guard Deron Williams through much of his NBA career.
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I know most of you are familiar with the story of Williams but for those who have forgotten or weren’t alive back then, let me refresh your memory.
Williams came onto the scene in the class of 2002. He was rated by most outlets as a 4-star point guard from The Colony, Texas.
There were a great deal of teams after his services but former Illinois head coach Bill Self managed to snag this talented prospect.
Through Williams’s time with the Illini he shined brighter than most. He was super talented and one of the best players to ever don an Illinois jersey.
Williams and the great cast that surrounded him in Champaign led the Illini to the National Championship in 2005. While the loss hurt most Illinois fans, deep down we were and still are extremely proud of their accomplishments.
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Following the great career with the Illini, Williams entered the NBA Draft after the title run and his junior season.
Williams was projected to go fairly high in that draft. The Utah Jazz ended up drafting him in the first round with the third pick overall. He was selected one pick head of superstar NBA point guard Chris Paul.
The NBA career for Williams started off like all fans wanted it to. He ended up starting half of the games the Jazz played his rookie season. He then went on to play four and a half more seasons with the Jazz before being traded to the New Jersey Nets.
The Nets, now known as the Brooklyn Nets, were supposed to build a champion. Things didn’t go exactly to plan with the Nets though.
Williams spent about three and a half years with the Nets before agreeing to a buyout and wanting to move on with his career.
The next team that Williams would end up with is his current team, the Dallas Mavericks.
Before the season started Williams and the Mavericks agreed to a two-year deal that would make him a key part of playoff runs now and in the future.
Statistically speaking Williams had one of the worst seasons as a professional basketball player this season. But you can’t fault him for his lowered production because he has dealt with injuries this year, much like in years past.
Williams has dealt with a plethora of injuries his entire professional career. This spanned anything from sore wrist to ankle surgery.
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A typical NBA season is 82 games and only two times has he ever played 80 or more games in a single season. This is because of the vast number of injuries through time.
The injuries have struck this season as well.
Williams dealt with a left hamstring issue this season that kept him out a while. Following the hamstring issue he then dealt with a hip issue that also sidelined him for a brief period of time.
But through all of the injuries and the multiple stops he has been through, Williams emerges back into the playoffs once again. He returned to the Mavericks lineup with three games left in the season and is poised to have a run at an NBA Championship that is missing from his mantle.
This once top tier point guard is looking to make a run in the playoffs. He will be teamed up with a former opponent in the 2005 National Championship, Raymond Felton, to try and take down the Oklahoma City Thunder in the first round.
I am not saying that Williams’s career is over or that this will be his final shot at a ring. I think he still has time left, but there is no doubt that father time caught up to him quicker than most.
So Illinois fans, watch our beloved orange and blue son this upcoming playoffs because there might not be too many chances left to see this great player shine bright in the lights of the basketball world.