Deron Williams was one of the best point guards of his era. For several years, the debate about the best floor general in the league came down to him and Chris Paul. While Paul ultimately outlasted him and built the longer resume, plenty of fans still rank D-Will ahead of CP3 in all-time point guard discussions.
Williams entered the league with the Utah Jazz under legendary coach Jerry Sloan, at a pivotal moment for the franchise. The organization was still dealing with the end of the legendary Stockton-Malone era. Still, the roster had legitimate talent.
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Injuries, however, derailed the 2004-05 season and the Jazz finished 26-56, their worst record in roughly two decades. That’s how they landed the third overall pick in the draft.
Williams joined a ready-made core
With that third pick, the Jazz selected Williams to join a veteran core of Carlos Boozer, Andrei Kirilenko, Mehmet Okur and others. On the “Out the Mud” podcast, Williams admitted Utah was exactly where he hoped to go.
“That was probably the place I wanted to land. I felt like basketball-wise it was the best situation, cuz there’s not many times where you’re a third pick in the draft and you go to a team that has talent,” he said, immediately pointing to injuries as the reason Utah even had that selection.
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“I think Booze missed 30 something games. I think AK missed some games. So, they never got a chance to play with each other. So, they ended up dropping in the draft and that’s why they was able to get that third pick,” he explained.
Around the league, Utah and Salt Lake City have long been viewed as low-distraction markets, far from the nightlife and spotlight of Los Angeles, New York or Miami. For a 21-year-old Williams, who already had a three-year-old daughter with his girlfriend, that environment was ideal.
“I had a kid. I had a girlfriend. So, it was a good situation for somebody like me to go to. It ain’t a party city, you know. Keep you right, you know. Good place to raise a family. So yeah, I loved it,” he said.
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Having played college ball in Champaign, Illinois, he had no issue adjusting to a smaller market.
“[It was] the best thing for my career and for me as a player. And I think going to that team and playing for coach Sloan was the best thing for me,” he added.
The Jazz years
Williams made an immediate impact, though tensions with Sloan started right from the beginning. The legendary coach made it clear who was in charge, at times reducing Williams’ playing time in crucial games. Utah finished 41-41 and missed the playoffs again.
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Looking back, Williams knows Sloan was just testing him. Still, he believes the Jazz could have made the postseason had he been handed the keys the way the Hornets gave to Chris Paul.
Despite that, the Jazz had multiple playoff appearances in the next few years. The tensions were always high, not just between Williams and Sloan, but also between the coach and other players, and especially between Kirilenko and the organization.
They managed to go deep in the playoffs, ultimately falling short of the title, largely thanks to the Kobe Bryant-led Lakers. Williams once stated they likely would have won a title if not for those Lakers teams.
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Through it all, Williams solidified himself as one of the league’s elite playmakers, inseparable from Paul whenever the debate about the best point guard in the NBA surfaced.
Both players will be remembered among the best to never win a championship. Williams came closest in his final season with the Cavaliers, serving as Kyrie Irving’s backup during their run to the Finals, where they ultimately fell to the Warriors.
The championship never came. But his prime in Utah — under Sloan, in a system that demanded discipline and toughness — shaped the player he became and cemented his place in one of the most competitive guards the league has ever seen.
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This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Mar 1, 2026, where it first appeared in the Old School section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.