ORLANDO, Fla. — To Clippers point guard Chris Paul, Deron Williams is a guy who “can shoot it, can pass it, just knows how to play.”
To the Celtics’ Paul Pierce, it’s “his size, his ability to make plays, his ability to shoot the ball, [a] rare combination” that sets him apart.
To Miami’s Dwyane Wade, “he’s one of the best point guards in the game.”
It’s why the Nets have invested their future in Williams. It’s why they will pursue center Dwight Howard to the ends of the Earth — or at least Orlando — whether by trade or by free agency or any other means necessary.
With the horde of media from all parts of the globe assembled — Williams gave a shout-out to Mongolia — the great elephant in the room yesterday was the marriage of Howard and Williams that Nets fans salivate over for next season’s move to Brooklyn. If the Nets can wrangle Howard — and there are many in the organization who feel very confident of that — the feeling is Williams will re-sign and they will go into the Barclays Center playpen as a legitimate contender.
Howard yesterday tried his best to keep all focus on All-Star Weekend in Orlando, which the city has turned into a celebration of him. Williams also tried to sidestep the issue. Both had varying degrees of success.
“The situation right now is All-Star Weekend — that’s the only thing that matters,” Howard said. “All that stuff can go on after All-Star Weekend, but right now my focus is on having a great time, being a great host to all these great players. … So we’re not going to talk about it right now.”
We’re just going to hear questions about it. Not nearly as many as were asked about Knicks sensation Jeremy Lin, but Howard was a healthy second-place finisher.
Williams said jokingly at one point — “Dwight who?” — but reiterated many of the claims he has made in the past: He likes the Nets. He likes the organization. He’s pumped for Brooklyn. But…
There’s always a but.
“We definitely have some good pieces, but it’s where it goes from there, we’ll see,” said Williams, who is a close friend of Howard — the two talk regularly. “I like where I’m at. I like the organization. We have a lot of great pieces, but we’ll see what happens as the season goes on.”
Magic officials were a bit miffed yesterday by a bit of NBA match-making. The All-Stars were paired for a “Day of Service” event in the community.
Guess whom the league chose to go with Howard? Deron Williams.
Nets officials were bombarded all day with, “Why you trying to take our guy?”
Both players can opt out of their contracts after the season, and though there is so much talk of leaving $25 to $30 million on the table to sign elsewhere, Williams stressed it is not always about the money. Both Williams (27) and Howard (26) are young enough that a second max contract could be had down the line.
“I want to win,” Williams said. “[The contract] doesn’t matter to me. It’s not all about money. I want to win at the end of the day, so I’m just going to wait until the end of the year and see what happens.”
Depending on whom you listen to, the Magic will trade Howard by the March 15 deadline to avoid losing him for nothing, or they will hold on to him and try to convince him to stay. He has sent mixed signals about his feelings for the city, but his trade request never has been rescinded.
“Actually, a lot of the fans here have said, ‘Whatever you decide to do we’re behind you 100 percent,’ ” Howard said. “They’ve been great, despite what people may say or think. This city means a lot to me.”