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The real Deron Williams showed up in the 2nd half

vslice02

vslice02

Well-Known Member
No question the Heat win was all about Millsap carrying the Jazz into OT (w/18 pts in the 3rd and 11 in the final 30 seconds) but quietly Deron Williams had an excellent 2nd-half before fouling out on a questionable call (rarely see that call at that juncture of the game).

If you watch the replay of Ronnie Price's 3 to tie the game at 79 (go to the 0:52 second-mark) that was as great of a play as you'll see from a PG to set him up and reminds you what a special player DWill is when he's playing like that (seriously, he drew ALL 5 defenders to him).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PxGvutR9XVU

After that abyssmal 1st half Deron responded with 19 points and 12 assists in the second half. Even more impressive is he was doing it primarily with Wade and LeBron guarding him. There's been times this season when Deron's been too passive - deferring to the set-offense rather than looking to make a play himself - but in the 2nd half I saw his old competitiveness kick-in and he rose to the challenge. He was crossing LeBron, shooting mid-range jumpers over Wade and neither of them could stop him from penetrating and kicking out. He and Millsap ran some beautiful side pick-and-rolls in the 3rd and in the 4th they put Price at the point and let Deron come off screens.

Last night was about Millsap, but it was great seeing Deron step up his game from pretty good to the level he's been playing at the past 3 seasons. Millsap and Deron now playing at all-star levels - if Big Al could just start making those 8-footers this team could take-off.
 
Agree.
And good observation on the 3 by Price. Deron drove the lane, the Heat collapsed on him and he somehow managed to get the pass accross to Ronnie.

When Deron is "on" he's the best PG in the game. He just has too many "off" quarters and games, commits too many TO's. Drives me crazy (and I'm sure a few others) because we know what Deron is capable of.

Perhaps the Jazz have been trying too hard to make Jefferson the focal point. Go with Millsap as the #1 option since he can shoot inside/out and knows the offense. Paul has also shown he can be a very good passer. So drop Jefferson down to #2, have him score off secondary feeds from Millsap and AK and offensive rebounds. At least until Big Al shows he understands the Jazz offense.
 
He played so well last night, I'll forget his stupid inbound foul on Arroyo that almost cost the Jazz the game. He played great.
 
It is D Will's team. He needs to consistantly play like it and lead his team mates with with his aggression. Great job in the 2nd half.
 
I thought Deron got fire in his eyes starting in the third quarter. It's pure beauty watching him when he really gets pissed about losing. He goes straight into thrasher mode and puts the team on his back. A lot of Millsap's 3Q points were perfect setups by Deron. They did everything to trap Deron, which left Sap wide open.

vslice02 said:
There's been times this season when Deron's been too passive - deferring to the set-offense rather than looking to make a play himself - but in the 2nd half I saw his old competitiveness kick-in and he rose to the challenge.
Click to expand...

I think there have been games (i.e. Golden State) where Deron couldn't get it done. He has problems with some teams and isn't the guy to put the Jazz over the top. Maybe he had an injury or sickness excuse in the Warriors game, but he didn't look good at all to me. That's when someone else needs to step up.
 
While we're at it, don't forget AK's nice game. 7/1 A/TO is a pretty nice line. Add in a clutch 3, and a key Lebron block (James was fouled by other players, but it wasn't called). Solid game.
 
Archie Moses said:
He played so well last night, I'll forget his stupid inbound foul on Arroyo that almost cost the Jazz the game. He played great.
Click to expand...

He also threw a fast break bullet pass to AK's shin, that wasn't so hot.

I think Raja Bell really helped him out. DWill admitted that he was missing shots or goofing up then basically giving up on the defensive end. I've seen this a few times this season and it had me really worried in the first 2 games. He starts hanging his head, committing lazy fouls, and not executing the offense. Hopefully last night will snap him out of it.
 
DWill with 24 points and 10 assists in 2nd-half against Magic after 19&12 Tuesday night. Whatever was keeping him from penetrating and pushing the ball earlier in the season is definitely a non-factor now. The best PG in the league is back. If the Jazz can just start playing better in the first half they could have 2 all-stars for the first time since 2000.
 
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