Deron Williams and Chris Paul are the best young point guards in the NBA today.
The two third-year 1's— selected third and fourth overall in 2005—are taking the league by storm.
In his final college season, Williams led the Illinois Fighting Illini to the National Championship Game—where they lost to North Carolina.
I knew then he was going to be special—but not so special so soon.
If you're looking to rebuild a franchise, Williams is the man you want to run the show.
Playing for Jerry Sloan is a huge plus for Williams, as the no-nonsense coach is sure to help the youngster hone his mental toughness.
Williams' size and strength compare favorably to that of Jason Kidd. Williams is quicker off the dribble than I expected him to be, and his upper body strength gives him an advantage when he penetrates to the basket.
He also knows how to take contact at the rim, and is more than capable of hitting from the perimeter.
William's playoff performance last season offered only a glimpse of his potential. He's averaging 18 points and nine assists thus far in '07-'08, and his Utah Jazz are one of the power teams in the Western Conference.
Bottom line: The future looks bright in Salt Lake City.
As for Paul—I had the pleasure of watching him live while he played at Wake Forest.
As a Duke fan, I never had much love for the young Deacon—but you can't argue with what he's done in the pros.
Paul's true value was evident both in Wake's collapse after his departure and the Hornets' emergence as contenders after his arrival.
As a player, Paul is unselfish and lighting-quick, and like Williams has great upper body strength.
His shooting could use some work, but his ability to penetrate is better than most observers give him credit for.
Paul is averaging 18 points and 10 assists this season.
Five or six years down the road, Kidd and Steve Nash will have faded into retirement—and point guards like Williams and Paul (and Tony Parker too) will rule the league.
Who's the better between the two youngsters?
You can't go wrong with either—but if I had to pick one I'd take Williams because of his size and physical presence.
Big point guards, of course, create matchup problems for opponents. That said, there is no bad choice—as teams around the NBA are sure to find out in the next decade.
Paul & Williams are on pace to make their 1st all-star appearance.
7 comments Last one added about 1 year ago — Leave a Comment
Anonymous about 1 year ago
I stopped reading when the article said you were a Duke fan. I knew right then and there you'd choose Williams. Credibility out the window.
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Michael Whittenberg about 1 year ago
Yes I'm a Duke fan, but choosing Williams over Paul had nothing to do with that. I chose Williams because I think he is the better point guard from the reasons I stated above^.
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Anonymous about 1 year ago
Paul was better in college and is better now. Williams always had better teammates though. Frankly I enjoyed watch Head and Brown more than I did Williams.
http://dberri.wordpress.com/2007/05/30/defending-chris-paul/
http://dberri.wordpress.com/2007/11/14/chris-paul-vs-deron-williams-again/
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Michael Whittenberg about 1 year ago
True Luther Head and Dee Brown were more fun to watch but you could tell that Williams was going to be the better NBA scout.
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Mike Woods about 1 year ago
as a TRUE deron williams fan and illinois alum, believe me he will be an allstar this year, deron is a beast. It did seem like in college he wouldn't really put it on thats why it was called dee browns team rather than derons because deron just sat back and did his job. When he got to the nba it was like he got pissed or something and wanted to prove a point. He's playing alot more aggressive and quicker than he did in college. Passing is about the same.
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Michael Whittenberg about 1 year ago
Yea who would've thought Williams was go to be this good?Look @ Dee Brown now, he's playing overseas.
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David Williams about 1 year ago
This is going to be fun. I followed both players all throughout college and I thought they'd both be excellent players. Who's the better point guard now? I'm still not sure. Williams has the superior size and strength , but Paul is quicker and has that uncanny ability to get to the rim. Regardless of who's better, these two guys will be making quite a few All-Star games before their time is up. This new wave of point guards bodes well for the future of the NBA
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