NBA Rumors: Deron Williams' Plea Will Spark Nets into Action

One thing is clear. If the Nets are going to survive Brooke Lopez's injury and make a run towards the playoffs this year, they're going to need some help. 

If you don't believe me, read what Deron Williams had to say, according to Benjamin Hoffman of the New York Times. 

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We need some more pieces...There’s no secret about that. There’s not many starters on our team right now. We have a lot of great role players, a lot of guys who know their job, but in this league you need some top-tier guys so you can get the job done.

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One of those potential pieces is Dwight Howard. As Hoffman mentioned, the injury to Lopez as well as Orlando's lack of desire to move Howard has kept that trade from happening. 

But some things can't be ignored. For example, losing 94-78 to Howard's Magic team is a little hard to overlook. This is especially true when Howard goes for 16 points and 24 boards, and Mehmet Okur (the Nets' center) scores nine points with six rebounds. Losing is bad enough, but that's insult to injury. 

The above quote came from Williams before losing to the Magic. When Howard is dominating the game, you can just imagine the thought's going through Williams' mind. 

Still, there is reason to believe that Williams wants to stay a Net.

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I love it...It’s been a great experience for me and my family. We’re definitely enjoying the city life.

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That quote also came from Hoffman's above article, and it was Williams speaking on living in New York City. Reading that, you would think that there's reason to believe he'll stay with the Nets when his contract ends this year. 

But there's one problem with that notion. The quote's nice, but it doesn't override what he said before about the team. 

Players don't usually speak so publicly about the struggles of their team. Not this early in the season. Sure, we all know that what he said is true, but talking like that is such a powder keg, especially in a market like New York. Anything you say there will be spotlighted. 

Williams' willingness to speak that way shows that he will not be back unless the team gives him a reason to believe that they're committed to winning. 

They have to be.

Moving to Brooklyn is going to raise the profile of the Nets even more. This is a franchise still stuck in the shadow of the Knicks. The Knicks are not exactly the league's gold standard. Being stuck in their shadow is not indicative of a very successful franchise.

Actually making the move to Brooklyn is going to raise the profile of the Nets. It's not hard to see that. And in a place like New York, you need to have star power, otherwise people will not pay attention. 

The fact that Williams is speaking like this and is a free agent forces the Nets' hands. They need to do something big. They will. There's no way around it. This team has to make a splash. That's why they'll make moves.

Keeping Williams is not an option. It has to be done, otherwise we're going to see a drawn out, crash and burn from the whole franchise. If Williams is going to stay, he needs to believe that the players around him will give the team a chance to win. The Nets know that. 

If they didn't know it before, they know it now. Time will tell if one of those players is Howard or not. The price may end up being a little too high for him. But players will be brought in to give Williams confidence that the franchise is committed to winning. 

His public comments are only going to spark the franchise. They need that spark, or their Brooklyn debut will be a dud.

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