NBA Free Agents 2012: Deron Williams, Chris Paul, Who's the Better Catch?

The highly anticipated 2012 free agency should prove to be just as exciting as what transpired in 2010, and not only that, it may be the next legitimately exciting NBA related spectacle fans have to look forward to.

There is no end to the lockout in sight, and if next season gets cancelled, we have literally nothing to look forward to. No games, no playoffs, no free agent signings and no trades—brutal conditions for basketball fanatics to say the least. This is why so much focus has been put forth on next summer’s free agent class.

Regardless of whether or not the free agency classes of this summer and next get integrated, two of the biggest names on the market will be point guards Deron Williams and Chris Paul. Both are set to explore their options and speculation has run rampant regarding what each will do. 

Numerous organizations are likely to make a push for Williams and Paul, but a decision may have to be made as to which one two pursue. Teams can try and lure both players at the same time, but ultimately that splits their focus, and could hurt their chances at landing either.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at both of the star point guards side by side to determine who will be the better catch and the one that teams should focus the majority of their efforts on.

Scoring

Last season, Chris Paul put up 15.9 points per game for the New Orleans Hornets, but proved he could score much more than that during the postseason, averaging 22 points per game.

Paul is a very good three-point shooter visible by the fact that he shot nearly 39 percent from beyond the arc last season. He also has a phenomenal inside game and can attack the basket with a fearlessness most his size cannot.

Additionally, Paul does not command many shots per game to get his daily dose of scoring. He averaged fewer than 12 shots per game last year, an impressive number for the number of points he put up.

Deron Williams is also a very capable scorer. Splitting time with the New Jersey Nets and Utah Jazz last season, he averaged 20.1 points per game.

Williams, while not as much of a threat from the three-point range as Paul, is still solid; he shot over 33 percent from behind the line last season and is at over 35 percent for his career.

Furthermore, just like Paul, Williams attacks the basket frequently and effectively. He is very strong for someone his size, and uses that to his advantage, going up against players much taller than him and often winning the battle.

Williams took about 15 shots per game last season, higher than his career average, but most likely out of necessity when he moved to New Jersey. 

What truly separates Williams from Paul though is his ability to take over his team’s scoring every night.

Paul proved he could carry the offensive burden during the postseason, but his first instinct, regardless of the situation is to pass, where Williams has more of a split focus. This split focus actually works to his advantage, and it makes him a bigger scoring threat to opposing defenses. 

Paul can be just as dangerous, and it is by no means a knock on him to deem Williams more of a scoring threat, rather merely the result of a difference in roles and mentality.

Advantage: Deron Williams

Passing

Chris Paul is one of the greatest passers the NBA has ever seen; he has tremendous court vision that few over the history of the league could match.

When on the floor, it seems as if Paul knows where all players are at all times, whether it’s his teammates or the opposition. His no-look passes are prolific and his ability to drive the lane and then kick the ball out at the last possible second is amazing.

Paul averaged 9.8 assists per game during the regular season and then 11.5 assists per game during the playoffs. He is always looking to pass and it is this quality that allows him to make everyone around him look a lot better.

Deron Williams is no stranger to passing either. Last season he averaged 10.3 assists per game, and anytime you approach or break that 10 assists per game mark it is more than impressive.

Like Paul, Williams makes his teammates around him look better because he has incredible court vision. He is not as adept to driving the lane and then kicking the ball out as Paul is, but that is because when he makes it inside he usually scores.

Ultimately though, it is in Williams' first nature to score, and while he is still a true point guard who looks to pass quite often, Paul threads the needle a bit better than him.

Advantage: Chris Paul

Ball-Handling

To weave in and out of the paint like Chris Paul and Deron Williams do, you have to be a skilled ball-handler, and they both are.

Williams takes the ball to the hole through traffic arguably more than any other point guard in the league, and yet he only averages about three turnovers per game. It is a number that seems slightly excessive, but this guy has the ball in his hands all the time, a large chunk of which is spent dribbling in the paint. This is not an easy task, making his turnover ratio more than acceptable.

Paul, like Williams, dribbles in and out of traffic more than most point guards, and he only averages 2.5 turnovers per game. With the amount of time he spends dribbling through traffic, one would expect this number to be higher.

Additionally, both point guards have solid crossovers in their repertoire. They can break ankles and beat opposing players off the dribble, all while maintaining complete ball control. 

Paul is slightly more skilled at this facet of ball-handling though. His quick hands and feet allow him to feign one direction and then head another in the blink of an eye.

Williams is a skilled ball-handler, but Paul’s flashiness and execution in this aspect of the game is simply something he cannot match.

Advantage: Chris Paul

Strength

At 6'3", Deron Williams weighs in at 209 pounds, most of which seems to be muscle.

As previously mentioned, Williams powers his way through the paint often, and it is because of his immense strength that he is able to do this. What is even more impressive though is that the extra pounds in muscle do not seem to hamper his quickness.

Chris Paul stands at 6' and weighs 175 pounds. While he is not by any appearances especially strong, he, like Williams, is effective in the paint. Paul has a scrappy inside game and is not afraid to sacrifice his body to get to the basket.

That being said, Williams has the ability to not just drive inside, but to actually post up, with is back turned to the basket, forcing his way toward the rim. 

This an attribute that Paul does not share.

Advantage: Deron Williams

Defense

Chris Paul averaged 2.4 steals and 4.1 rebounds per game last season, very impressive numbers for a point guard.

Paul is quick on his feet, allowing him to stay in front of almost anyone in the NBA, and he has fast hands, so fast that if his NBA career went bust he would have done extremely well for himself as a pick-pocketer.

In terms of crashing boards, point guards are not expected to do much, yet Paul seems to chase down every loose ball on the defensive end, and is not afraid to go up against stronger and taller players for the rebound.

Deron Williams is also a solid defender; he averaged 1.2 steals and 3.9 rebounds per game last season.

For someone of his strength, he is extremely quick and light on his feet. This allows him to keep pace with most other guards as well as grab the more than occasional steal.

While Williams is anything but a liability on defense, he is just not as talented at stealing the ball or forcing opponents into a corner as Paul is. 

Advantage: Chris Paul

Speed/Agility

Both Chris Paul and Deron Williams are especially fast. They can run the floor constantly for 35 plus minutes a game and are as elusive as point guards come.

Given Williams' size, his quickness is especially impressive. Most athletes with his muscle build rely too much on their power, but Williams also boasts an impressive quickness that allows him to elude opposing defenses as well as hold his own while defending.

Paul, if it weren't for John Wall, could arguably be the quickest point guard in the game. With or without the ball in his hands, Paul is lightening fast, which is why defenses have so much trouble keeping him away from the basket.

While Williams is especially agile for his size, Paul is lighter and faster on his feet, largely due to the fact that he weighs less. Williams may have the edge when it comes to size and strength, but Paul plays at a pace that is all his own.

Advantage: Chris Paul

Overall Health/Durability

Both Chris Paul and Deron Williams attack the basket at times with reckless abandon, which makes them susceptible to injury.

Six years into his NBA career, Williams has only played less than 70 games twice though, one of those seasons being the 2008-2009 one in which he played 68. Overall, Williams holds up well to the rigors of the season and his aggressive style of play, and his strength is definitely a factor in this.

Paul has also played only less than 70 games in a season twice over his six-year career, yet he seems to be prone to getting knocked around a bit more than Williams. 

Paul does not have the strength that Williams does, and is also three inches shorter, making it easier for him to get lost in the shuffle down low. Additionally, Paul has already had knee surgery and he is only 26, which is of slight concern to say the least.

When it comes to overall health and risk of injury, Williams is more likely to withstand the brutality of an NBA season more than Paul. 

Advantage: Deron Williams

Leadership

Before being traded to the New Jersey Nets, Deron Williams was thought to have been the primary motivating factor behind Jerry Sloan's resignation, and this does not bode well for his reputation.

Williams is great at directing an offense, yet he has a temper that could erupt at anytime. He is aggressive in nature and will call a teammate out if he is doing something to deviate from his floor plan. This itself is not a bad quality, but the manner in which he does it in at times is.

Despite this, Williams does seem to have more good days than bad ones. Any given night he is capable of carrying his respective team to victory, something the Nets will cherish.

Chris Paul is no different, except for the temper. Paul is a terrific floor general and directs the offense efficiently. He is a very vocal and encouraging player to have on the court, and his main goal seems to make everyone around him better.

Paul's biggest hiccup in the leadership department came when he pretty much demanded a trade last summer. With no leverage at the time, requesting a trade was especially demoralizing to his team. However, his relationship with his teammates did not seem to suffer at all, a tribute to his likable personality.

Furthermore, like Williams, Paul is capable of carrying the burden of his team both offensively and defensively when called upon. This past postseason he was nothing short of instrumental in the New Orleans Hornets' grudge match against the Los Angeles Lakers.

When it comes down to leadership and knowing how to direct one's team, Paul has a better head on his shoulders and the overall edge over Williams.

Advantage: Chris Paul

Who's the Better Catch?

Deron Williams and Chris Paul are two very talented athletes, who could help a number of teams. That being said, if an organization needs to set their sights on only one, Paul is the way to go.

Williams is the better pure scorer, but Paul is a better floor general. His court-vision is slightly better and he can work more of his teammates into an offensive strategy.

Additionally, Paul's leadership skills are greater than those of Williams. While Williams is quick-tempered and could go off at any second, Paul has patience and the ability to mentor his teammates. Such an attribute is invaluable both on the court and in the locker room.

Paul does come with certain health risks. He has had knee problems in the past and there is always the possibility that they creep up again, but the dividends far outweigh the risk. Paul will always play through pain if he can and it is this gritty fearlessness that turns one of his cons into a near pro.

Both point guards are game changers, but whether a team is looking for a pillar to build their organization around or a final piece to help them chase championship aspirations, Paul is the one they should pursue. He's simply the better catch.