Deron Williams as an Impact Newcomer? Sorry, Not Buying it

I don’t expect much from the Mavs this season in general or, honestly, from Deron Williams in particular.

But not everyone, apparently, is convinced that the 31-year-old point guard is merely going to guide Dallas straight into the NBA Lottery. ESPN’s “Summer Forecast, penned by writer Kevin Pelton, last week ranked their 10 most impactful newcomers for next season.

At the top of the list, Greg Monroe now of the Bucks, followed by two players that helped cast the Mavs’ Summer into a bummer: LaMarcus Aldridge of the Spurs and Tyson Chandler of the Suns. Another former Mav – Monta Ellis of the Pacers – was ranked No. 6 before Williams at No. 7.

I’ve said before that maybe Williams has something left in the tank. He had one playoff game last Spring where he flashed a reminder of how dominant he can be. But it was four summers ago all the sudden that he pushed Jerry Sloan into retirement in Utah and then jilted the Mavs to stay put in Brooklyn with the Nets. But over an 82-game season? A top old face in a new place?

Sorry, not buying it. Last year his shooting percentage was a career-low and his scoring average plummeted to its lowest mark since his rookie season. I just see nothing to suggest any part of Williams or his game trending upward.

For the Mavs’ sake, here’s hoping – and predicting – that Wesley Matthews and/or rookie Justin Anderson make a bigger impact than Williams.

A native Texan who was born in Duncanville and graduated from UT-Arlington, Richie Whitt has been a mainstay in the Metroplex media since 1986. He’s held prominent roles on all media platforms including newspaper (Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Dallas Observer), radio (105.3 The Fan) and TV (co-host on TXA 21 and numerous guest appearances, including NBC 5). He lives in McKinney with his wife, Sybil, and two very spoiled dogs.

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