Deron Williams is not a man who shrinks from a challenge. The Utah Jazz knew this when they dealt three first-round picks to snare him in the 2005 NBA Draft. They needed someone who could run an offense that had been broken since John Stockton left town—and not try to be the next John Stockton. Deron not only filled those impossibly large shoes, he led the Jazz to the conference finals in his first year as a starter. This is his story…

GROWING UP

Deron Michael Williams was born June 26, 1984 in Parkersburg, West Virginia. (Click here for a complete listing of today's sports birthdays.)Deron’s mother, Denise Smith, was single mom, who raised her son with little help from his father, Byron Williams. Deron's dad disappeared from his life altogether in the early 1990s.

The family moved to suburban Dallas when Deron was a kid. Denise, a computer programmer, had another son, Kendall, when Deron was 10. Deron is very close to both his mother and brother.

Denise was a good athlete who played several sports in college. She attended West Liberty State College in West Virginia with her sister Judy. They starred on the basketball and volleyball teams together. Denise taught Deron early on that being the point guard meant you couldn't hog the ball. The idea was to get the rock into the hands of your teammates.

Deron learned to love basketball from his mom and played at a high level as a kid. He attended Arbor Creek Middle School where he became super-tight with Bracey Wright, another young hoops prodigy. They engaged in ferocious one-on-one battles and destroyed grown men in two-on-twos.

Deron also joined local youth leagues where the talent ran deep. A frequent teammate was Darius Harper, whose father Derek had been an NBA star. Although he was usually one of the tallest kids on the team, Deron always played point guard. His mom saw to that. She coached a lot of those early teams.

When it was time for Deron to go to high school, he and Bracey were recruited by The Colony, one of the top programs in the country. In their final three seasons as starters for the Cougars, they had a 90-8 record.

Deron was a classic gym rat at The Colony, where he was coached by Tommy Thomas. Most evenings he stayed until the building was locked. As a junior, he averaged 17 points, 9.4 assists, and two steals per game.

By his senior year, Deron was a superb ballhandler and playmaker. He wasn’t flashy and didn't put up monster stats, but he knew how to make his teammates look good. He averaged 17 points again, with 8.4 assists and sixrebounds. The Cougars sailed to a 29-2 mark.

Wright, the team’s star shooting guard, got the lion’s share of the attention when the college recruiters came to call. Deron wasn’t jealous of his buddy, but he didn't enjoy being overlooked, either. His furstration was amplified after he was passed over for an invitation to the McDonald’s All-American Game. Bryan Hopkins, a point guard who made a nice living feeding Chris Bosh, was chosen in his place.

ON THE RISE

As the floor general of the country’s top high school team, Deron was recruited by a handful of major programs, including the University of Illinois. He decided to accept a scholarship from coach Bill Self, but it was fellow freshman Dee brown who convinced him to come to Champaign. Deron had grave reservations about playing beside the flashy prep star. Brown assured him there would be no problem.

Deron started 30 of 32 games as a freshman and ranked third in the Big Ten in assists with 4.5 per game. The Illini finished second in the conference in 2002-03 with an 11-5 record and were undefeated at home for the year. They bowed out in the second round of the NCAA Tournament, ending the year with 25 victories.

After Deron’s freshman campaign, Self announced that he was leaving the team to replace Roy Williams at Kansas. Bruce Weber became the team’s coach, and he put the club in Deron’s hands. Weber installed a new offense, which featured lots of motion, plenty of options, and relatively few set plays.

Deron began his sophomore year well, establishing himself as the Illini’s most consistent player. The team was ranked in the Top 20 and figured to make some noise in the postseason. In a December game against Maryland Eastern Shore, Deron took a shot to the chin and shattered his jaw. He returned to action, but Illinoi struggled early in conference action, splitting its first six games.

The young club finally came around and reeled off 10 straight wins to close out its Big Ten schedule. In the process, the Illini claimed the school’s first outright conference championship since 1952.

Illinois advanced to the final in the Big Ten Tournament but lost to Wisconsin. In the NCAA Tournament, the Illini beat Murray State and Cincinnati before falling to Duke in the Sweet Sixteen. For a team still learning to win, it was quite a run.

The key development in the season was the friendship that blossomed between Deron, Brown and Luther Head. All three had played point guard in their lives, so they shared a team-first attitude. They also felt comfortable on a team with no seniors in the starting lineup. Deron actually led the club in scoring with 14.0 per game. He was a First-Team All-Big Ten selection by both the coaches and media.

Not surprisingly, the Illini were stoked heading into the 2004-05 season. Weber set a goal of reaching the Final Four. Deron, Brown and Head played smart, exciting, unselfish basketball as the team rolled to one victory after another. The diminutive Brown grabbed most of the headlines with his dynamic scoring, and Head looked great on the receiving end of Deron’s passes. In a December game against top-ranked Wake Forest, the Illini demolished the Deacons 91-73. One week later Illinois was ranked #1.

The Illini held onto that ranking through the regular season, winning 30 games and losing their only final Big Ten contest to Ohio State by one point. Deron finished the year as the team’s third scorer, but Weber regularly referred to him as the Illini’s best player.

Illinois won the Big Ten Tournament, earning the #1 seed in the Midwest Region. The Illini defeated Fairleigh Dickinson, Nevada and Milwaukee before facing their first scare against Arizona in the Elite Eight. Deron exploded for 31 points and spearheaded a thrilling comeback to meet Weber's goal and put his team in the Final Four. Illinois trailed the Wildcats by 15 points with under five minutes left but roared back for an 90-89 victory. Deron was a monster down the stretch, despite chasing Salim Stoudamire all over the court.

Illinois’ bubble burst in the National Championship Game, where they were beaten 75-70 by UNC. Still, the school’s 37 victories tied an NCAA record. Deron’s postseason honors included Second Team All-American recognition, as well as being named First Team All-Big Ten, Big Ten All-Tournament Team, and All-Final Four team. He was also a finalist for the Wooden Award as the nation’s top college player.

MAKING HIS MARK

Deron decided to declare for the NBA Draft. Steve Nash had just copped the MVP award, and every team seemed to be searching for the next killer point guard. In a talent pool rich at this position, Deron was picked number three overall by the Jazz, who signed him to a four-year $16 million deal.

Some fans groaned about Utah passing on Chris Paul—especially after his fast start that fall. But they soon grew to appreciate what Deron could bring to a hard-edged team like the Jazz.

Utah's management never had any doubt about Deron. They dealt three first-round picks to move to the third spot. The feeling in Salt Lake City was that all the team lacked was a solid point guard. And who could argue? The Jazz were led by Andrei Kirilenko, Carlos Boozer, Mehmet Okur, and Matt Harpring—an orchestra in search of a conductor.

Coach Jerry Sloan used Deron off the bench to begin the 2005-06 season. Although he didn't start very often, Deron was usually around at the finish. He also took to Sloan’s pick-and-roll very naturally. With two months to go in his rookie season, Deron was promoted to starting point guard.

Injuries kept the Jazz from hitting their stride, and they finished at 41-41. Utah just missed the playoffs but improved dramatically nonetheless, easily surpassing the previous year’s 26 wins. Deron finished his rookie year averaging just over 10 points nearly five assists a game. He was named to the All-Rookie First Team.

The 2006-07 campaign opened with all of Utah's key players healthy. Deron was pleased that his old teammate, Dee Brown, was on the team, having been drafted in the second round by the Jazz. Also new to the Utah backcourt was veteran Derek Fisher, the owner of three NBA championship rings.

Deron played brilliantly early in the campaign, and the Jazz got off to a 12-1 start—the best in the league and the best in team history. The second-year point guard was racking up the double-doubles and feeling the love in Salt Lake.

As the All-Star Game neared, Deron and the Utah fans believed he deserved a place on the team. He was miffed when passed over but still gave his all in the Sophomore-Rookie Game.

The Jazz maintained heir momentum, won the Northwest Division with a 51-31 record and secured their first playoff berth in four seasons.Deron finished the year ranked second in the NBA with 9.3 assists per game and added 16.2 points, one of the league’s best marks among point guards. His assist total was the most ever by a Utah player not named Stockton.

The Jazz went into the playoffs with a chance to do some damage but without any serious aspirations beyond the second round. That changed when the Golden State Warriors knocked off the Dallas Mavericks, and the Jazz shocked the Houston Rockets in seven games after losing the first two of the series.

While the Warriors gave Dallas all sorts of match-up problems, Utah handled Golden State with ease. In an exciting head-to-head matchup, Deron outdueled Baron Davis, who had played like a Hall of Famer against the Mavs. Deron opened the series with a 31-point, eight-assist performance. Davis got him in foul trouble in Game 2, but Deron was money in the final quarter with nine points, six assists and a 10-footer that sent the game into overtime. The Jazz took two of the next three games to defeat the Warriors in five and advance to the Western Conference finals against the San Antonio Spurs.

The night before the series, Tony Parker invited Deron to dinner at one of the city’s finest French restaurants. The next day, Deron torched Tony for a career-high 34 points. After watching his teammates throw up bricks for three quarters, he seized control in the fourth quarter, netting 18 points. It was all the Spurs could do to hang on for an 108-100 win in Game 1. San Antonio seized control of the series with victories in Game 2 and Game 4.

With their run to the Western Conference Finals, the Jazz enjoyed a breakout year in '06-07. Deron was a big reason why. His efficiency running the offense, cool leadership and ability to hit big shots in the clutch has some fans thinking he's the next coming of Stockton. Even better, the Jazz don't need another Karl Malone to be successful, thanks to their deep frontline. With Deron running the show, Utah might do something it never could with Stockton and the Mailman: Win an NBA title.

DERON THE PLAYER

The most striking thing about Deron is the maturity and confidence with which he plays. Jerry Sloan had the pleasure of coaching John Stockton most of his career, and by the end of Deron’s rookie year, Sloan was comfortable with him running the offense. Deron is smart with the basketball—he knows when to be a distributor and when to take his man to the hole.

Deron’s build is one of his greatest assets. He is no shrinking violet at 6-3 and 205 pounds. A defender trying to contain him does not have the option of bodying up. Deron will post up his man when he gets a smaller guard on him. He is quick for a player his size yet always plays under control. He also has an effective mid-range game.

Deron’s shortcomings are few—and of only mild concern to the Jazz. They would like him to break down the defense more and work the perimeter less. However, his eagerness to learn and deep desire to improve just about guarantee that he will fulfill his pro potential—probably sooner than later.

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