Utah Jazz: Counting down the team’s Top 15 all-time draft picks

Given the path his career took after he was dealt to the Nets, younger Jazz fans may not realize just how good Deron Williams was at the height of his powers. Make no mistake about it — he achieved sheer greatness on the hardwood.

For several years, one of the great debates in NBA circles was whether he or Chris Paul was the best point guard in the league. Chances are that few outside of the 801 area code gave D-Will the nod, but it was far from an open-and-shut case. He was that good.

Over 439 games with the franchise, Williams averaged better than 17 points, nine assists, and one steal per contest. In doing so, he led Utah to multiple playoff berths, including a run to the ’07 Western Conference Finals. Really, Williams’ Jazz squads were ahead of their time offensively with him directing the attack, an elite floor-spacer in Mehmet Okur, and a mobile four-man in Boozer.

Williams was the linchpin to that entire process. He’d rank higher on this list if not for the fact that he was drafted ahead of CP3.

Nevertheless, D-Will was a multi-time All-Star, an Olympic gold medalist as part of 2008’s Olympic ‘Redeem Team’ and the face of the franchise during his time in Utah. Next to the glory days of Stockton-to-Malone, the Williams-led Jazz were the most successful iteration of the team.

Although that may soon change.

Next: No. 8