As I sat second row at the Utah Jazz intra-team scrimmage I noticed one thing more than any other and that was the killer instinct of Deron Williams. Deron's team was down most of the scrimmage, at first Deron was just out there having fun trying to get his teammates involved putting on a show for the crowd. But as soon as the 4th quarter hit everything about Deron changed. Deron got a fierce look in his eyes, he stopped joking around with other players and his desire to win was about as palpable as the chair I was sitting in. Deron helped his team overcome a 17 point 2nd half deficit to tie the score (the scrimmage ended in a tie). I was left sitting amazed at what I just witnessed. On TV you can see Deron take over games but it is nothing compared to being there in person. I sat wondering what Deron's intensity would be like in a Playoff elimination game if this is how strong it was in a free scrimmage to the public.
There are not many players in the league that can match the intensity of Deron Williams. Kobe Bryant, Lebron James maybe Chris Paul and Kevin Garnett possess this supernal level of desire to win. Now Kobe, Lebron, Chris Paul and Kevin Garnett were in the discussions for MVP in 2008, why not Deron Williams?
MVP candidates lead their team to a winning record and have numbers to back up their play. Deron Williams lead his team to the Northwest Division Title and they finished with a 54-28 record. Williams averaged nearly 19 points and 10.5 assists a game. Comparing numbers among players is difficult because every team plays a different offense at a different pace. For example because Paul averaged 21 points and 11.6 assists many thought was a better player. Deron's numbers may be deceiving because of the motion offense of the Jazz. On the Jazz more players are helping set up the offense and touching the ball. While the Horents it's mainly Paul dribbling the ball at the top of the key breaing down the defense then throwing the ball out for an assist. No one on Paul's team averages above 3 assists a game besides him. Behind Paul is Pargo with 2.4 assists and West with 2.3. While on the Jazz Deron averages 10.5 but AK averages 4 assists and Boozer averages nealy 3. Wiliiams numbers are slightly lower but it is because of the offense in which he plays not his ability.
So Williams numbers are comparable to the MVP candidates last year, his team was one of the top teams in the competitive Western Conference but why was he not in the national media's discussion for MVP?
When Steve Nash was MVP for 2 consecutive years it was mainly for his contribution to his team, the Suns could not win without Nash. This past year it was the same with Kobe, Lebron, and Paul. The media assumed that their teams would not be able to win without them. For some reason because of the way the Jazz play it is not so apparent that one player could make that much of a difference on the team. The offense that the team runs , focsing on team play and Jerry's desire that not one player is the star of team makes it almost impossible for one player to seem missed when absent. However anyone who carefully watches the Jazz can testify that without Williams the Jazz are a different team and would not be able to win or be competitive. In the 2006-2007 season Williams missed 2 games due to a strained groin. The Jazz lost both or those games and watching those games were somewhat painful the Jazz did not play at their usual level... why because there was no Deron to lead his team.
Past MVPs also have mostly been flashy or finesse players. It is easy to see how last years candidates fit into that category. They all have amazing highlights. Deron also is a highlight machine but because he plays in Utah which for 20 years was strictly pick and roll, Stockton to Malone nothing finesse about it. The tradition of the Jazz precedes anything that Deron does different on the court. Because of tradition and because Jerry Sloan is still the coach many think that Deron is just like Stockton. Jazz fans or anyone that watches the Jazz for a few minutes can tell you that Deron loves to run, throw the alley-oop pass, break ankles with his killer cross over and drain the 3 pointer on the fast break.
What else did the MVP candidates have that maybe wasn't seen in Williams? The candidates were all from large media markets with the exception of Chris Paul.l Chris Paul did however come with the feel good story of the teams first full season back in New Orleans after the devastation of hurricane Katrina. Also Chris Paul has been a media darling since his days in Wake Forest. That is something that Williams can not control. The Jazz will never be a media favorite due to the small market size. David Stern has the NBA promote the large market teams above all other teams (no matter how much he denies it).
Deron does posses all the same qualities as MVPs past and recent MVP candidates besides playing in a large market. So can Deron make a run for MVP in the 2008 2009 season? If every media member who votes could see and feel that I felt at the Jazz scrimmage, then the answer would definitely be yes!
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