Texas’ Best Point Guard: T.J. Ford Or Deron Williams?
November 28 07
The state of Texas produces oil, cotton, high-tech widgets, and beef. And recently the playgrounds of Texas have produced two of the NBA’s best young point guards: T.J. Ford and Deron Williams.
Ford is leading a basketball renaissance in Toronto, while Williams’ size and ability is making Jazz fans quickly forget about John Stockton.
Instead of determining Ford and Williams’ place on the list of best point guards, HoopsVibe opted for a Lone Star State showdown.
Fans have spent hours debating between Ford’s speed and Williams’ size. Now it’s your turn. Who is Texas’ best point guard: Ford or Williams?
As always, read the post, make your decision, and get at us in the comment box with your thoughts.
The Argument For Ford:
- Ford is one of the quickest players in the NBA. His speed puts pressure on opposing defenses and creates space for his Raptor teammates.
- Ford keeps improving his offensive game. As a rookie, he struggled with his shooting and only made 39% of his attempts from the floor. Four years later, Ford is hitting almost half his field goal attempts and has become an outside threat.
- Ford is unselfish. He has no issue splitting minutes with Toronto’s Jose Calderon.
- Career averages: 12 points, 7 assists, 3.5 rebounds per game.
The Argument Against Ford:
- Ford’s smaller stature, he’s listed at 6-0 and 165 lbs, is a problem. Bigger guards can create a mismatch by posting him up. And Ford is also injury-prone.
The Argument For Williams:
- Williams has great size and athleticism. He can bully smaller players with his frame and apply full-court pressure with his pace.
- Williams can do it all: score, pass, rebound, and defend. He’s often called Jason Kidd with a jumper.
- Williams is a leader. He’ll publicly call-out slacking teammates. For example, the Dallas-native criticized some teammates for quitting in last year’s Western Conference Finals against San Antonio.
- Career Averages: 14 points, 7 assists, 3 rebounds per game.
The Argument Against Williams:
- Williams sometimes speaks too much. This summer, he came under fire for discussing the Andrei Kirilenko-Jerry Sloan beef with the Utah media.
The Verdict: Williams.
Why: Williams is one of the game’s best young players, while Ford might not be the best point guard on his own team.
Williams is much more durable and possesses a better all-round game. He’s posted stronger individual numbers and taken his Jazz further in the post-season.
Ford’s a very good player, but Williams could soon emerge as the NBA’s best table-setter.
Who is better: Ford or Williams? Get at us in the comment box below with your thoughts.
Click here to read and subscribe to Oly Sandor’s NBA Blog.
