The Brooklyn Nets entered their Eastern Conference semifinal matchup with the Miami Heat with hopes of toppling the two-time defending champions off their perch. While the task was daunting, Brooklyn had been undefeated during the regular season against LeBron James and co., and survived a young and athletic Raptors squad in Round 1.
Brooklyn was game in Round 2, but bowed out in disappointingly quick five games. Much of the Nets' struggles centered on the rapidly declining play of point guard Deron Williams. A particularly galling Game 2 in which he failed to register a single point highlighted his issues. With the season in the books, Brooklyn may have a concrete reason for the sharp downturn in his play-another bout with ailing ankles.
According to reports, Williams may require offseason surgery on both of his ankles. "I think so. I think it is," Williams said when asked if surgery was an option. "Just to clean [stuff out], it's nothing major."
D-Will went on to offer an apology to Nets fans for his inability to perform up to his pay grade. "I feel like I've kind of let people down, so I don't like feeling like that," Williams said. "I take my job seriously, I work hard in the offseason, I work hard every day. It's just real frustrating not to be able to play how I'm capable of playing."
If Williams' ankle woes become chronic problems, his already cumbersome contract with three years and $63 million remaining on it will become an albatross that threatens to strangle the draft pick-strapped franchise. Nets fans are obviously worried, but D-Will assured them he's working his hardest to return to his All-Star form, when many considered him the premier point guard in the NBA.
"Both years have been tough on me," Williams said of the past two seasons with the Nets. "I just feel like I haven't been able to play the way I want to since I've been here, really. And so it's just been tough, it's been tough to swallow, but hopefully can figure things out and get back to playing like I want to play."
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