Deron Williams’ transition to European basketball not going smoothly – NBA Update
New Jersey Nets point guard Deron Williams attracted a lot of attention when he announced the decision to join Turkish club Besiktas for a season long contract nearly three months back. The Nets All-Star is one of the top point
guards in NBA, and was therefore expected to set arenas alight in Europe.
That though hasn’t gone to plan so far.
Deron seems to be struggling to adjust to European basketball. His first game in the Eurocup ended in defeat and the player put in a woeful performance, especially considering his high standards.
Now Williams has admitted that the change of scenery has not gone as well as it could have, due to a number of issues.
“It's a different game over here. There is less spacing, the officiating isn’t the same. Pretty much every aspect of the game is different than in the NBA. I’m just learning and adjusting as we go. I still haven’t found my rhythm.”
Williams said, according to ESPN.
Williams ended last season nursing an injury and carried it into the offseason. Although he declared full fitness when heading to Turkey earlier, the injury kept him from having proper workouts in the summer. The result was that
Deron arrived at Besiktas a bit rusty, and that has cost him.
“Before I got out here, I hadn’t played any 5-on-5 basketball since last season. So it’s still that training camp stage for me and I’m trying to get my rhythm and my timing down. It all comes with practice. When I first got here,
I played in an exhibition in Italy without any practice at all. Now that weve had some time in the gym together, it has been better. Were still trying to get there though. It’s a process.”
Deron made the decision to join the Turkish side because of the NBA labour dispute. The league owners and players were not able to come to an agreement regarding a new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), and the NBA locked out
its players on July 1st.
The situation is still tense, with NBA games likely to be cancelled on Monday. A number of NBA stars have therefore expressed a desire to go abroad and play competitive basketball, with Deron being harbinger of sorts.
He was the first and so far the biggest name from the NBA to commit to a foreign team. In accordance with FIBA rules, Deron has inserted a get out clause in his Besiktas contract that will allow him to return to New Jersey if the
lockout ends.
That scenario though looks unlikely with each passing day. In fact, more and more players are now looking for a job overseas because of the NBA lockout.
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