Deron Williams sees the trend, as does everybody else not living under a rock. So Williams wants the Nets to be like the Celtics and the Heat and the Knicks.
“I want to win,” Williams said before making his home debut in the Nets’ 104-103 overtime loss to the Suns last night. “In order to do that, you see the trend now: two, three, sometimes four stars in every city.”
So you need two, three, four stars. The Nets have one. Williams knows more is needed, and he must be a big part of the recruiting. A part, but not all. The Nets also have a Russian owner, Mikhail Prokhorov, with pockets deeper than the Phillies’ starting rotation. Then there is that move to a Brooklyn arena whose planned construction, seemingly, was drawn up with the blueprints for the Pyramids.
“We have the market to do that right now,” Williams said, “and I think it’s going to improve with the move to Brooklyn to attract some of the bigger name guys and it’s on not only management, but me, to try to get some people here.”
So the push to make Williams the area darling began on the local front last night at Newark’s Prudential Center, where the Nets sought far more than the sub-9,000 gathering that greeted Jason Kidd in his home debut — a season opener no less — back in 2001. Williams, who finished his home debut with 13 points and 18 assists, got a huge ovation from two-thirds full crowd, who chanted “Der-on Will-iams” ala “Der-ek Jee-ter.” The crowd included Jay-Z and Beyonce courtside.
Williams spoke in Kidd-like tones yesterday. Same goals, same aims, same dreams, different tones. Kidd promised and vowed. Williams came in a little under that radar. But make no mistake, he sees the potential. If, of course, he stays rather than opting out. But that’s a whole different matter and Williams certainly didn’t sound like a guy eyeing a new zip code.
“There’s a lot of stuff that appeals to me, as far as my future here,” said the best thing to pull on a Nets jersey in years. “Just got to keep going. I only played two games here. Had a short time, haven’t even settled in.”
Williams also spoke about his commitment to winning.
“That’s all I’m about,” he said. “That’s my No. 1 goal. That’s how I’ve always been, no matter what I do, no matter what I play. That’s what I want to do, is win.”
And he knows he can’t do it alone. Yes, Brook Lopez is young and destined to improve. Williams is a top 10 at his position, and the Nets need at least one more top 10. Prokhorov’s billions, an active front office, a top-shelf coach, the move to Brooklyn and — yes, Williams himself — must all corroborate to make it happen.
“When your owner says he’s going to spend the money and put people around you, that’s appealing,” Williams said, addressing one thing that already has been shown: Prokhorov spends.
The Brooklyn lure is not lost on Williams. Others, like Kidd and Richard Jefferson, rolled their eyes. They heard about Brooklyn about the time they were learning their ABCs and pick-and-rolls.
“I’m definitely curious because it’s interesting and I think it’s a big part of the outlook of the team and the future of the organization,” Williams said.
So he is the Nets “It” player of the moment, saying all the things the Nets pray he’ll say. Again, the Nets’ best ally may be a new Collective Bargaining Agreement that may make walking away from the $17.7 million he is guaranteed for 2012-13 impossible to do — and make it impossible for star-laden teams with max contract players to sign him, unless he’ll accept an hourly wage. So maybe a Nets uniform is a very real part of his future.
And then, they hope, stars will follow.