New Jersey Nets point guard Deron Williams makes his debut with Turkish Club Besiktas: NBA News
Deron Williams, one of the leading point guards in the National Basketball Association (NBA), finally made his debut in the Turkish league with Besiktas on Sunday. Williams, who has still two years left on his contract with NBA
team New Jersey Nets, recorded an average performance with 11 points and five assists during his time on the court.
Besiktas however finished the game in style, routing their opponent Bandirma Kirmizi, 107-69, in Williams Turkish debut.
Williams was the first All-Star NBA player to sign an international contract after the league locked out the players on July 1. The pact with Besiktas was officially signed July 16 that gathered a lot of attention, especially
after Besiktas coach, Ergin Ataman declared that the Turkish club was interested in hiring more NBA players, including Los Angeles Lakers, Kobe Bryant.
However, the Turkish club failed to reach an agreement with Bryant, but Besiktas didn’t give up and landed another player from the lockout league, Cleveland Cavaliers forward Semih Erden. The Cavs forward also played in the game
and looked impressive, as he added 13 points and eight rebounds in Besiktas’ victory over Kirmizi.
Williams’ decision of playing with the Besiktas proved right, as the fear of lockout dragging into the regular-season eventually came true after the NBA Commissioner David Stern cancelled the first two weeks of the next regular-season
a week ago, when the franchise owners and players union failed to reach an agreement over the new Collective Bargaining Agreement.
It seemed as Williams require few more games in order to get into the groove, since his stats on his debut with Besiktas didn’t impress many. Williams hit just two out of his 10 field goals and the story wasn’t much different from
the three-point region as well, as he went one of four from beyond the arc.
Still one cannot underestimate the 27 year old point guard, as he is the most high profile player among the list of the NBA players that had signed to play in the overseas, during this lockout. The others have signed to play in
different countries like, Wilson Chandler had signed a pact with a Chinese team, Ty Lawson with Lithuania, Rudy Fernandez in Spain, Kenyon Martin will also play in China, Danilo Gallinari in Italy, DeJuan Blair in Russia, and Kyle Singler in Spain.
With the new CBA talks going nowhere, it seems that more NBA players would soon join their fellows, who are playing in different international leagues around the world. However, the major hurdle that the NBA players are facing
in joining the international teams is the opt-out clause. As, several international leagues and teams are not comfortable with the idea to let go players in the middle of the season, as it could spoil the balance of the side and the charm of the tournament
too.
However, Williams pact with Besiktas includes an escape clause that’ll allow him to return to the Unites States, whenever the lockout gets settle down. However, only the time will tell whether Williams will remain successful in
cheering his Turkish fans by delivering good numbers for which he is famous for or not.
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