Utah Jazz Beat D-Will; Can We Please Get Off His Back Now?

Editorial — Former Utah Jazz star Deron Williams and his Dallas Mavericks fell in Salt Lake City on Friday night. It was a nice win, but this guy is still pulling for D-Will.

Despite the fact the temperature was in the 30s, it was a hot one in Salt Lake City on Friday night. In dramatic fashion, the Utah Jazz were able to drop the Dallas Mavericks on national TV thanks to a last-second, game-winning triple from sharpshooter Rodney Hood.

The B-story to Hood’s heroics was the fact that they were made possible by an ill-advised shot from former Jazz star Deron Williams on the other end. Rather than hold for the last shot with the game tied, Williams elected to fire away with seven seconds left.

When the ball clanged off the iron, Hood had just enough time to storm down the court and seal the win.

It was a curious decision from a 12-year veteran and former 5x All-Star, but Williams didn’t shy away from criticism afterword. “At the end of the game like that, we have to get a shot with as little time [left] as possible, if not the clock going out,” Williams told ESPN’s Tim McMahon. “That’s my fault as a point guard.”

Have you ever had an experience that felt like winning and losing at the same time? This was me after the Mavs game. As a longtime follower of both the Jazz and D-Will, I’m not sure how to feel about the way things played out.

A Jazz win is always a good thing, but hasn’t Williams caught enough grief where his former team is concerned?

Every time D-Will touched the ball on Friday, the crowd at Vivint Arena booed him vociferously. Since his departure from the Jazz in 2011, this has been the modus operandi for fans in Salt Lake. And while I fully endorse the people’s right to be loud and make life hard for the opposition, with nearly six years having passed since Williams left, I don’t get the hate.

The sticking point for many of Williams’ detractors is the notion that he caused former coach Jerry Sloan to retire. We’ll never know all the ins and outs of the Jazz locker room at that time, but Sloan himself has denied this.

Following his resignation, Sloan said, “I’ve had confrontations with players since I’ve been in the league. There’s only so much energy left and my energy has dropped.” The statement rings true; Sloan was nearly 70 at that point and in his 23rd year at the helm of the franchise.

Moreover, after multiple playoff berths and two NBA Finals appearances, the team had finally begun to descend.

Asked point-blank if the Williams situation forced him to leave, he replied, “I forced myself out.” Williams was taken aback by the suggestion at the time. “I would never force Coach Sloan out of Utah,” he said. “He’s meant more to this town, more to this organization than I have by far. I would have asked out of Utah first.”

In addition to the Sloan situation, fans will also point to Williams’ treatment of Gordon Hayward when the Jazz star was just a rookie as a reason to boo. More specifically, a play in a blowout loss to the Phoenix Suns in 2010 when Hayward failed to cut properly in the offense.

D-Will responded by throwing the ball at him in disgust and screaming at him following a timeout for the world to see on TNT.

Not a good look, for sure, but Williams quickly apologized for his behavior (which, again, happened some six years ago). What’s more — before the Jazz and the Mavs played on Friday, he had some kind words for Hayward. “He’s probably an All-Star this year,” Williams said. “He’s definitely developed into a go-to player and a No. 1 option for a playoff team.”

Williams also sang the praises of the Jazz as a unit —

"“Man, they’ve put a solid group together. They definitely went through some rebuilding years, kind of collecting assets and draft picks. They definitely have an identity now. They have a great mix of youth and then experience, adding Joe [Johnson] and Boris [Diaw] and George Hill, guys like that to complement the young guys they have. They’re a really solid team — tough defensively, really patient offensively and get good shots and know how to play the game the right way.”"

Even now, he continues to call Utah his offseason home. He also publicly praised the state’s family-friendly environment back in his Brooklyn Nets days.

From the New York Post —

"“Truth is, we enjoy getting away from the hustle and bustle and going back to Utah every summer,” said Williams, who lives in Tribeca. “It’s a relief to take that timeout. No traffic. No crowds. My daughters still have their friends there. There’s a big backyard. They go to the pool, the playground, and they jump on the trampoline. Kids running wild and free here…? I don’t think so.”"

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Don’t get me wrong, Williams isn’t perfect. He may not have been the sole reason Sloan retired or the face that haunts Hayward’s nightmares, but he probably made their basketball lives difficult from time to time. However, I’d be shocked if anything he did ever came from a malicious place.

He was just a player who cared a lot about winning and had very specific ideas about how to do so.

He also has that distinct “Get off my lawn!” vibe, but as a get-off-my-lawn guy myself, I respect a modicum of surliness.

Fans will likely continue to boo him and that’s their right. That said, there are a lot of us out there that are hoping for the best for D-Will. He was a big part of one of the more successful periods in team history and a prominent figure in the local community for a number of years.

D-Will’s detractors can find solace in the fact that the Jazz have beaten him on the court once again. Good for you, gang.

Now, can we just get off the guy’s back at this point?

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