New Jersey Nets: Hopes of Keeping Deron Williams Dwindling by the Day

Just when you thought the New Jersey Nets couldn't be having a worse week, they are now struggling, having lost their last four games and in the process, they're failing miserably in convincing Deron Williams to stay.

Their latest loss was to the lowly Washington Wizards, 108-89.

It was bad enough that the Nets couldn't land Dwight Howard at the NBA trade deadline, but now they are having trouble competing against the likes of the New Orleans Hornets, Cleveland Cavaliers and Washington Wizards.

The addition of Gerald Wallace was supposed to help Williams and give him a supporting cast the All-Star point guard could believe in, but New Jersey is winless with their latest acquisition on the floor.

If you're Williams, you have to be thinking that the Dallas Mavericks are a much more attractive and reliable option in regards to winning a championship. And to help Dallas' case even more, they are also his hometown.

New Jersey also can't offer a player the likes of Dirk Nowitzki to play next to.

Clearly, the frustration level of being in a place he never wanted to be in the first place and not getting what he wanted is weighing heavily on D-Will. During the third quarter of the Nets' pathetic loss to the Wizards, Williams lost his cool and got tossed.

In doing so, he put his emotions before the team and hurt New Jersey's chances of winning the game. That is far too early for any player, especially the best player on a team, to get thrown out of a game.

As a matter of fact, is there ever a right time for such a thing?

And Williams has been on the hot seat lately for making some bad decisions in big spots that have cost the Nets late in games.

The Nets had better shape up as a whole fast and start winning some games in order to prove to Williams they are moving in the right direction as a true competitor in the NBA. If not, they could still be in the process of rebuilding when they move to Brooklyn next season.

Because, in my humble opinion, the New Jersey Nets are not the most appealing option for the free agent-to-be at this point. If he had to make his decision tomorrow, D-Will would be on his way to the Mavs.