SAN ANTONIO — Deron Williams heard the big guy was coming. He just didn’t realize how big the guy is.
“Tall, that was the first thing I said,” Williams said of his first impression of the Nets’ owner, 6-foot-7 Russian billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov.
The two chatted after the Nets’ 106-96 loss to the Spurs.
“He was just telling me how excited he was, and he wanted to come and see me in person,” said Williams, who admitted he was impressed that Prokhorov cancelled plans yesterday to fly from British Columbia to watch the debut of the Nets’ trade-acquired superstar. “He was going to call, but he felt like he needed to come and say hi to me in person.
“It meant a lot that he cancelled the day of a skiing trip and came back from Canada,” Williams said. “We just talked about some things. We’ll probably sit down and talk some more in London, and it’ll be good.”
And this time he will be prepared for a tall owner.
“I said did he hoop, and he said he did when he was younger,” Williams said.
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Dan Gadzuric and Brandan Wright are two guys who welcome change.
Though all the focus at the trade deadline was centered the Nets’ acquisition of Williams from Utah, New Jersey also got two big men in a deal with Golden State. Both are looking for fresh starts. One, Gadzuric, 33, is a veteran hoping to contribute as he always has done. The other, Wright, 23, is trying to jump-start his career.
“I just feel this is a whole new start,” said Gadzuric, who spent eight years in Milwaukee before his short time with Golden State this season. “You make the most of any minutes you get, try to learn and just look at this as a positive move.”
Gadzuric, 6-foot-11, who came with Wright, 6-foot-10, from the Warriors for Troy Murphy and a second-round draft pick, has averaged 4.4 points and 4.7 rebounds in a career as a grinder. Wright, the No. 8 pick in 2007, has averaged 5.7 points and 3.0 rebounds.
“Probably, I needed a change,” said Wright, who was out of Golden State’s rotation. “I felt like I should be playing over there. . . . Coming over here is a good opportunity for me. I think I’ll be able to play well. . . . I’m excited it’s like draft day all over again.”
Physicals were waived for both players. Wright was inactive, but Gadzuric dressed.
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By halftime, when the Nets held a 54-53 lead against the Spurs, who are nearly unbeatable at home, several scouts were raving about Williams’ ability to pick up the Nets plays and coach Avery Johnson‘s willingness to let him run the show.
“He already knows 50 percent of the playbook,” one scout said of Williams.
And the Nets’ newest hoped-for-savior said he’s comfortable however Johnson wants to play it.
“Both [ways]. Everybody made a big deal about me calling my own plays in Utah. I guess [John] Stockton didn’t. I always looked to Jerry [Sloan] for what he wanted. If he wanted a play, I ran the play,” Williams said. “Sometimes in the flow of the game, you get the ball and bring it up the court, you can’t look at the coach and stop play. You have to just go with the flow. That’s what I do.”
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With four new faces in the lineup, the Nets trotted out their 13th different starting alignment.
They managed a 6-9 record with Travis Outlaw, Derrick Favors, Brook Lopez, Stephen Graham and Devin Harris starting. Their only winning alignment, 2-1, was the season opening starting unit: Outlaw, Joe Smith, Lopez, Anthony Morrow and Harris. . . . Morrow was fouled three times while shooting 3-pointers. He had a four-point play, then made 5-of-6 free throws. . . . Former Net Richard Jefferson went 0-for-7 from the floor for the Spurs. . . . The Nets are in Houston tonight as they complete a strange back-to-back Texas set. They are home for Phoenix and old friend Vince Carter on Monday, then head across the pond for two games in London against Toronto.
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Johnson said incorporating Williams into the Nets’ scheme would be easy because, well, he’s Deron Williams.
“He knows what he’s doing on the floor, and he’s done it at a high level, whether it’s winning a gold medal or playing in multiple All-Star games or being in big playoff games,” Johnson said. “He knows what he’s doing and we just got to find a comfort level on how he meshes with our guys.”
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Johnson on his new players from Golden State: “Dan’s been a banger and a rebounder and tough hard-nosed defender. We can use that on our team and the intensity he brings inside. I’m open to change if we need to. Wright is a young player, still trying to find his way. He’s battled through some injuries, pretty long. This gives us a chance to evaluate these guys over these [last] 25 games.”
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Johnson on his new lineup: “We’re just still searching. We have to try a couple of things. We only have 25 games left. The lineup you see tonight may not be the one you’ll see [tonight in Houston] or in London [next weekend].”