Hornets.com’s 1-on-1: Utah’s Deron Williams, Ron Boone
January 27, 2007
Hornets.com’s Cris Quintana and Jim Eichenhofer interviewed Utah guard Deron Williams and Utah television analyst Ron Boone on Saturday when the Jazz visited the Ford Center.
Williams was the third pick in the 2005 NBA draft, taken one spot before Hornets star Chris Paul. Williams had a solid but unspectacular rookie season, but has been outstanding in his sophomore NBA campaign, averaging over 16 points and nine assists per game.
Boone is in his 17th season as a Jazz broadcaster. A former pro player who is the defunct American Basketball Association’s third all-time leading scorer, Boone is somewhat known among Hornets fans as the lone media member to NOT cast a first-place vote for Chris Paul in 2005-06 Rookie of the Year balloting. Boone – who coincidentally is a native of Oklahoma City – voted instead for Williams.
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Utah guard Deron Williams
Q: What’s your take on tonight’s game and the impact that the loss of Carlos Boozer in the first quarter to injury put on the team?
A: We were sluggish and didn’t play hard, our numbers were down in the paint and we all know how important it is to have that inside-outside game in order to win ballgames. He’s definitely a big part of the offense; we’ll need for guys to step up and contribute, since we don’t know how many games he’ll be out.
Q: Earlier this week you posted a career-high 21 assists vs. Memphis. Describe how you were feeling that night.
A: It went well, but we didn’t get the win. We lost to Memphis in a hard-fought battle. Winning games is the most important thing and we weren’t able to pull it out.
Q: You’re currently second in the league in assists, how does it feel to be up there with players such as Steve Nash and Jason Kidd?
A: It feels great. They’re some of the guys that I watched growing up. It’s like a dream come true to be mentioned in the same light.
Q: How much more comfortable do you feel this season in the league and how much difference has that made in your play? What impact have some of your veteran teammates had on you?
A: A lot more comfortable and confident. Having one year of experience under my belt, just learning the business, how to take care of your body and getting your rest in to be ready the next night. I’ve learned a lot, from guys like Matt Harpring and Derek Fisher, on how to be a professional, come in every day and work hard… don’t take days off.
Q: Though you didn’t get a chance to face off with Chris Paul tonight, what’s your take on his game and his potential in this league?
A: He’s one of the great young point guards in the league and will be for a long time. He’s a good friend of mine; I definitely love playing against him, as it’s always a challenge. I enjoy watching him play. I’m a fan of his game.
Boone
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Utah broadcaster Ron Boone
Q: Some analysts expected the Jazz to be a solid team this season, especially if they were healthy, but I don’t think many thought they’d be this good. Is it safe to say that they’ve exceeded nearly everyone’s preseason expectations?
A: I think they’ve surprised a lot of teams and critics – even a lot of people in Utah. (Utah owner) Larry Miller spent $200 million on three players, but they had never really been on the floor at the same time (for an extended period) because of injuries. Expectations were high, but a lot of people have been surprised at how they are playing. I think at first the Jazz were thinking, ‘OK, can we make the playoffs?’ Now they’re wondering, ‘How far can we go in the playoffs?’
Q: Carlos Boozer has been spectacular so far this season and there has even been some talk that he is a darkhorse MVP candidate. Is it a case where he probably doesn’t have a realistic shot to get into that conversation due to all of the bigger names he would be competing against?
A: His numbers say he should be considered, but a lot of people are taking a wait-and-see approach with Carlos and saying, ‘Let’s see if he can do this again next year.’
There are a lot of big names ahead of him. I think right now the bigger question is whether he can make the All-Star team and if he should be there.
Q: There was a lot of second-guessing last season of Utah about whether the Jazz made the right decision by drafting Deron Williams instead of Chris Paul, especially after Paul won Rookie of the Year. Do you feel now that the Jazz are satisfied that they made the right decision?
A: I think they are MORE than satisfied. One of the reasons they took him was because he was a bigger guard. They wanted a point guard with a little more size, and they got that. Deron Williams played well early last season, then ran into a wall. During the second half of the season, he started to come around.
He understands this offense, and is playing very, very well. I don’t think they’re second-guessing that pick at all.
Q: Do you believe that Deron Williams is a better player than Chris Paul, or is he just a better fit for what Utah wants to do?
A: Yes, (the latter). What a lot of people don’t understand is that there are a lot of great players in this league, but you see guys when they go to different teams, they flourish (or struggle). When you get into a system that complements your style of play, your game will start to surface and you play well. I think Deron Williams is in the type of system that complements him.
Q: There was a lot of discussion after the Rookie of the Year vote in 2006, when you were the only person who cast a first-place vote for Deron Williams, preventing Chris Paul from being a unanimous pick. When you look back at it now, do you still think that was the right decision?
A: [grins] It don’t think it was a case where I thought Deron Williams was going to win Rookie of the Year. I thought (Williams) played very well last season, especially at the end of the year. But I knew Chris Paul was going to win it; I just thought Deron deserved some votes. It just so happened that I was the only one who did that, so it kind of made me look bad. [grins]
Q: As far as your rookies this year, do you think Jazz forward Paul Millsap from Louisiana Tech is a case where he doesn’t get enough playing time to put up the stats that would get him consideration for Rookie of the Year, but he’s quietly had a very good year and doesn’t look like he’s a first-year pro.
A: He’s been a jewel. I think he’s opened up a lot of eyes of the teams that took players ahead of him. He’s a great rebounder and we’ve found out that he can score. Right now he’s looks like the best second-round pick out there, and he’s probably ahead of some of the first-round picks as well.
Q: People who play fantasy basketball are probably disappointed that Andrei Kirilenko’s statistics have dropped this season, but is it a case where this is a better role for him to play, where he can focus less on scoring? The Jazz don’t seem to need him to score 15 to 17 points a game anymore.
A: You’re absolutely right. What they need out of him is consistent numbers. His value to this basketball team is blocking shots, playing defense, passing the basketball very well and the hustle plays.
You know, things change in basketball. A couple years ago, Andrei was looked on to score. Now the Jazz have three guys in Williams, Boozer and (Mehmet) Okur who can really fill it up, so Andrei’s role had to change. It took him a while to get it and accept it, but I think he’s starting to get it now.
Q: Is he fine with that role?
A: He was not at first. He quietly and without showing a tremendous amount of malice behind it, (was displeased). He had a couple meetings with the coaches and said that he wanted more touches and wanted to be a bigger part of the offense. But Andrei’s now accepted what the coaches are giving him, and he’s started to play a little bit better.
Q: It's probably tough to complain too much given the way Utah is playing this season, isn’t it?
A: [laughs] You’re absolutely right. A lot of complaints come when you’re losing. This is a player who was an All-Star and wants to be more a part of what is going on, and feels that he should be a bigger part of it. He quietly complained. It wasn’t like he took direct shots at the coaches or anything like that.
