Utah Jazz: 10 Jazzmen whose numbers should at least be considered for retirement
By Ryan Aston
Deron Williams (No. 8)
D-Will’s Jazz run ended almost as awkwardly as Hayward’s — some would even argue it was worse because of his purported role in Jerry Sloan‘s sudden retirement — but he has since reconciled with the club and his old coach.
Also: he’s probably one of the five or six best players in franchise history.
People forget it because of the way injuries shaped his career on the proverbial back nine, but Deron Williams was a top 10 player in the league when he was with the Jazz. One could argue that he was the best point guard in the Association at one point, too; even better than Chris Paul.
As a Jazzman, Williams averaged a cool 17 points, nine assists, three rebounds and one steal per game. He picked up two of his three All-Star nods and one of his two Olympic gold medals while balling in Utah. Finally, he’s fourth in Jazz history in assists, ninth in points and ninth in free throws made.
Aside from the less-than-awesome end to his tenure in Salt Lake City, I think the thing that keeps Williams’ No. 8 from going up is that he really only spent five full seasons with the team. That’s still enough to warrant consideration, but not quite enough to compensate for the baggage he brings to the table.
His jersey still hangs in my closet, though.