I haven't read anything about the concern that Williams was out of shape this year. Was this rumor something recent?
He was never out of shape this year. In fact, he was said to be in much better shape than last year. Williams is playing out of his mind. If he's out of shape, I want to see what's he's like in shape.
He is in much better shape this season, which is a big reason for his improvement. He must keep this conditioning throughout his career to become a great PG. Chris Paul never had an ounce of fat on his body and never will; he is blessed. Deron Williams is more like the rest of us and has to try to keep the extra pounds off.
Hope its cool to use an older thread. Just wanted to continue this discussion. Chris Paul, to me, has been the most impressive young player (other than LeBron) this year. He's leading the Hornets to a very respectable record, and he's putting up ridiculous numbers. The ways plays the PG position is almost flawless. He runs the pick and roll as well as anyone not named Nash, he's unbelievably quick and steady with the dribble, and he's the best ball hawk in the league. Good rebounder. The total package. As long as he can stay healthy, dare I say he's the best PG in the league? Yeah, I'll say it ... better than Nash. Or at least in the same conversation. Williams is a great player, and maybe its unfair to rehash this argument when the Jazz are struggling so much. I just think Chris Paul is on a whole other level right now. Doh, this is in Hangout. Can a moderator move it to the NBA forum?
durvasa, I've got to switch sides after tonights game. Chris Paul made Baron Davis and the Warriors look so foolish in the 4th quarter I can't believe what I saw. Right now, he is clearly better than Deron Williams. Steve Nash and Jason Kidd couldn't have taken over a game any better than what Paul did with his passing, ball-control and shooting. If I had to choose a PG for my team THIS SEASON, Chris Paul is my #2 behind Nash. Call me crazy, but he's already better than Kidd and BD. His floor vision is at an elite level that very few NBA players achieve. In BD's defense, he played almost the entire game while Paul get a couple of rest breaks. The Warriors showed a lot of guts and fought uphill the entire game. Then Paul almost single-handedly decided to drive a stake in their hearts. Chris Paul is now a dominant NBA player. His shooting has improved and he is a different player from last season. Props to him for the progression.
I wish I would have seen this game. I definitely had Paul ahead of Williams but always liked BD's intensity, physicality, and the way he puts his stamp on a game.
paul. the guy just oozes leadership and really controls the game. Williams plays well, but doesnt command and lead like paul. I vividly remember seeing paul, in his rookie year, set up a play and pointed to pj brown and motioned him to move. The play didn't work out and the coach called a timeout. As they were walking to the bench i say paul walk up to the veteran and instruct him what he should have done...and the veteran was paying very close attention. It's a small thing, but when the numbers don't differentiate one another that much, its those small things that matter. plus as others have mentioned, paul doesnt have as good of a supporting cast...at least not as consistent
For now, Paul has an equal supporting cast. MoPete, Peja, David West and Chandler are very solid. I totally underestimated how good they could be. They have 3 guys in their starting lineup who drop 30 points on any given night. Last night, Chandler dumped 22/22 on Golden State and looked like a beast. I never doubted Paul's leadership traits but his teammates are in the palm of his hand. Barring major injury, the Hornets should make the playoffs. But their bench is garbage and I bet they fade later in the regular season. They could use P.J. Brown.
Explaining (a year later) like how DonkeyMagic said, it came down to small things when choosing from 2 even players. No Deron Williams wasnt/isnt/or might never be out out of shape. Physical form was just the only long-term differentiator I could think of. They say bigger guards are more durable but to myself I dont see much difference. Without researching, I assume its more about the person's individual effort to stay in condition more than body type. So I would go slightly against a player that has had "so-called" issues of keeping in shape. Might not be that big a deal, though we are seeing the effects of Steve Francis' conditioning compared to a Rafer's.
The Paul vs. Williams debate doesn't do Chris Paul justice anymore. I think we should shift to Chris Paul vs. Steve Nash. He outplayed Nash in the fourth quarter, just as he outplayed Baron Davis the previous night.
2008.2.4, NOH vs UTA, 88:110. C. Paul: 6pt at 3/11, 6Ast, 5TO. D. Williams: 29pt at 11/13, 11Ast, 3TO. According to the recap, Paul was in early foul trouble. Home court advantage? I dislike Utah Jazz but I will be very happy to have Williams on our team.
The first quarter I saw D William play in the league, there was no doubt in my mind he would end up an all-time great point guard. His composure and BB IQ are unmatched by any current PG, and maybe any current player. His thinking and awareness on the court is just a few frames ahead of everyone else. I hate Utah but you have to give it to their scouting department.
