Deron Williams 'surprised' at the firing of Brooklyn Nets head coach Avery Johnson – NBA Update
Days before All-Star point guard Deron Williams made the final decision about his free agency option this summer, he had his 28th birthday. And among the invitees in his very private party was Nets’ head coach Avery
Johnson.
The gesture pretty much solidified Williams’ return to the Nets, and eventually that was what happened.
Williams however could never adjust in Brooklyn and last week when the frustrated point guard opened up about the difficulties he was facing under the isolation offence of Avery; it pretty much marked the beginning of the end for
the head coach.
Johnson was sacked by the franchise on Thursday, a day after the team lost 10th of its last 13 games. While many people have lashed out at the decision and have blamed the point guard for the hasty firing, Williams has
revealed that he is surprised as anybody;
“I was surprised,” Williams said in a telephone interview with Daily News. “I never had any conversation with (GM) Billy King about not liking coach, nothing about coach Johnson. Avery was a big reason I came back, because him
and Billy. So I was surprised.
“We’ve never had an argument; we’ve never had a fight, any disagreements, anything. So, I think it was more kind of what happened in Utah, people still saying I got coach Sloan fired even though he resigned and that’s going to
stick with me for a while.”
Johnson’s offensive philosophy was something that Williams didn’t like, there is no doubt. But, it was not the only factor is the recent slump that the three times All-Star is passing through. The guard had been struggling with
his right wrist ever since his switch to the Nets. Swelling on that wrist was the reason he sat out Wednesday’s game against the Milwaukee Bucks and it is the very reason, Williams has so far produced his career worst shooting figures.
In the 27 games, D-Will has played so far in the season; he just averages 0.398 percent from the floor and 0.295 from the three point range. His numbers have hurt the Nets badly, and even with a new coach, they will only live up
to their billing if Williams gets going.
Tags: