There's a lot you could say about last night's much-anticipated game against the Nets. You could talk about how it was the Jazz' first real blowout win of the season. You could note that five Jazz players scored in double figures. You could observe that Derrick Favors actually logged an assist. And you get speculate on interesting lineup possibilities, such as Jazz starters against five former Jazzmen.
But there's only one thing I really have to say about the game.
BOOOOOOOO!
That's not me jumping on the bangwagon and bagging on Deron Williams. That boo is directed at all the knuckleheads that decided to boo Deron Williams not only during the starting lineup intros, but every time he touched the ball. I gather from the twittersphere that was probably just a very vocal minority, but I feel compelled to go on the record.
I can understand booing some players. There are several NBA players, including some ex-Jazz guys, that I don't like. There are others who I think are despicable human beings. I think I've even boo'ed someone at a game (probably Bill Laimbeer). But D-Will? I just don't see it.
Let's think for a minute about how Deron ended up leaving the Jazz. He didn't ask or demand to be traded. It's not like he left the team as a free agent to seek a championship (a la Karl Malone). The Jazz decided it was time to rebuild and suddenly shipped him to New Jersey. I was at work when I heard about it; a Spurs fan I used to work with sent me an e-mail about it. I couldn't believe the Jazz decided to unload the face of the franchise, a move that basically amounted to tearing up the roster and giving up on the season.
The boo-birds probably blame D-Will for Jerry Sloan's sudden departure from the team. I've read a lot of speculation on that, but I think Jerry left mostly because of Jerry. Sloan had dustups with other players over the years, but this time, I think he had just had enough and was ready to hang up the clipboard. And as much as I love Jerry Sloan, I think Ty Corbin has been able to make some positive changes that eluded the Jazz the last few years. They are playing better defense on most nights, and except for the first few games have shown some mental toughness down the stretch. And the Jazz got some nice players and draft picks out of the trade that are immediately paying off. So even if you wanted to blame Deron for Jerry's departure and the lost 2010-2011 season, Jazz fans still have plenty to cheer about this year. While you could debate the point, I think they are better off how things turned out.
So if D-Will didn't destroy the Jazz, why boo this guy? Deron not only put up great numbers on the court, he also did a lot of great stuff for the community during his time here. He made SLC his home during the offseason and was a good citizen, except for the goofy Park City incident during his rookie season. He fed the hungry on Thanksgiving. He gave to needy moms and kids. He held golf and the wildly popular Dodge Barrage tournaments. And he still held those community events the summer after he got traded. He's a great guy and a was a great player for the team. And even though the Jazz brass shipped him to one of the worst teams in the league for cold, calculating business reasons, he still has nothing negative to say about the team, and until last night, had nothing bad to say about Jazz fans. Deron Williams just doesn't deserve to be booed.
It would be like booing AK-47 when he makes his eventual return to ESA in a visitor's uniform. Andrei's albatross of a contract did more damage to the Jazz the last couple of years than anything else, and that wasn't his fault. It was the team management that did it to us.
Deron's suffering enough in Jersey. There's no reason to kick him while he's down. So again I say, "Shame on you" to everyone who booed him last night. And to Deron, I sincerely apologize for their loutish behavior.
No comments:
Post a Comment