Chris Broussard asked Wednesday night if Deron Williams' visit to Barclays Center is "another sign that D-Will's warming up to idea of staying w/Nets?" Of course, that assumes he was cool to the idea, which one Nets insider rejects out of hand. "He was never 'cool' to the idea," said the insider with obvious disdain.
And since Billy King said a few days ago that people should pay attention only to what he and D-Will say, we've compiled some quotes from the NetsDaily files, starting with Williams' introductory press conference and ending with his Facebook message earlier Thursday, the one where he said Barclays Center "will be a baller's paradise". As they say in the restaurant business, "Enjoy!"
"I'm excited to be a Net..."At first, it was a little bit of shock, but after talking to (GM) Billy King, talking to coach (Avery) Johnson, and just seeing the direction that they want to go in and the vision for their organization , it just really got me excited about the possibilities of competing for a championship in the next couple of years...It’s definitely a change, and a challenge, but I look forward to turning this thing around and competing for a title.
"They're very ambitious in going after a lot of guys. I'm going to help with that as well."
"I can’t really give any assurances, or say that I’ll be here [because] I don’t know what the future holds. I look forward to the possibility of it; it’s definitely a strong possibility. It all depends on how the next year goes – the CBA, the type of moves we make and the people we bring into this organization."
--February 24, Introductory Press Conference, PNY Center
"I’m gonna look to recruit guys... Since I’ve been in this league my ultimate goal is a championship. I want that and hopefully this franchise is going in the right direction. A lot of things appeal to me. The move to Brooklyn and we have a lot of money to get marquee guys and bring some guys in here is definitely appealing to me."
--February 25, Interview with Evan Roberts & Joe Benigno, WFAN
"There’s a lot of stuff that appeals to me as far as my future here. When your owner says he’s going to spend the money and put people around you that’s definitely appealing. Hopefully we can start winning some games and that the owner has a lot of power to get some people here. That will definitely draw some crowds. I’m sure the move to Brooklyn will.
"I'm excited to be here and trying to lead this team in the right direction: toward the goal of a championship."
--February 28, Home Debut, Prudential Center
"Everybody’s been great, the team has been great, the coaching staff has been great. The whole coaching staff has been great, making my experience great so far..."I’m going to have to [turn into a recruiter]. I tried to do it in Utah. But it’s tough. It was a tough situation. You’ve got to do it. Guys have to want to play with you and hopefully they will. And I’m going to try and recruit some guys to come here and help."
--March 3, Interview with Sekou Smith, NBA.com
"[The Nets] are doing everything they can to get me stay here. The organization is great, the coaching staff is great, the players are great. Im having a lot of fun."
--March 16, Interview with Dan Patrick
"How can you commit to something you just got into? I just got here. I haven't even been here a month. How can I just say I'm going to stay here? That'll be great because that's what people want to hear, but I can't say that."
"You can definitely tell their objective is to keep me here. I've had a lot of good conversations. I met with Dmitry Razumov (Prokhorov's chief aide) and Mr. Prokhorov. They're pretty much keeping me in the loop.
"I've never been a free agent so, I mean, at some point I'm probably going to become a free agent.
"I'm going to need some help. We're going to need to get some other pieces."
--March 29, Interview with Stefan Bondy.
"I like this organization a lot. I like the direction they’re going. They made me and my family feel real comfortable since I’ve gotten here.
"I like Coach (Avery) Johnson — the way he coaches and the way he carries himself. I definitely can see myself staying here.
"We’ve had a lot of open communication in a short period of time that I really like. And just the organization in general, how they handle themselves from top to bottom. I think everybody has just been great here and I like how things are run.
"I would like to not have the distraction (of looming free agency) during the season."
--April 14, Season's End Press Conference
"It's cool to see the beams up. You hear about how it's going to look and how it's going to be finished. But it's good to come and see how the progress is. You can kind of start picturing it, what it's going to be like, see the layout of things. And it's good to see the area – I hadn't been to this area yet. It's different. This is in the heart of the city. It's kind of like the Garden. It's the same feel. It's special."
--April 27, Barclays Center Tour
"This place will be a ballers' paradise!"
--April 28 on Facebook, following Barclays Center tour
"We got the young pieces, but we need some proven guys, some veterans that have been around that have won. That’s what we are going to try and accomplish in the off-season ... I am all about winning. I’m not really interested in being on a team that’s going to try and rebuild for years and years".
--May 3, Interview with Cub Beunning, SLAM
"I'm definitely liking the organization. I'm liking Coach Johnson, and after numerous discussions with the organization, i feel they're going in the right direction... I think they know that. I think they knew that going into the situation...i think that's doable, especially now. In Utah, it wasn't as easy. Here once they move to brooklyn, thats definitely appealing to people, a new arena and the ownership. The owner is committed to winning. So it's a lot easier still."
--May 3, Interview with Scott Van Pelt and Ryen Russillo, ESPN Radio
"I like the prospect of staying here..."To be honest with you, we just have to get players. That's it. Everything else is great: the organization is great from top to bottom, the owner is committed to winning, committed to getting players. That's the bottom line. We have to get some players."
--May 3, Interview with Chris Carrino, New Jersey Nets
"It was definitely different. It caught me off guard when I got traded, and took me a little while to fit in. It wasn’t the best timing for everything to happen. But, since things have settled down, and I’ve had a chance to be around the organization, they’ve been great to me. They’ve made me feel really comfortable. I had a conversation with the owner, Mr. Prokhorov, and the direction he wants to take things in has got me really excited. I went and saw the site for the new arena, and how things are progressing there. There’s definitely some things that I’m looking forward to over the next year, and that will help me decide on what I want to do with my future after that.
--May 4, Interview with Zac Dubasik, Sole Collector
"We'll see. I'm definitely warming up to it and the organization has been great to me since I've been there and has made me feel real comfortable. I like coach Johnson and the rest of the coaching staff. I just want to win. That's my main objective. If we can get good guys in there and do something with the cap space that we have, then I can see myself staying there".
--May 5, Interview with Nicki Jhabvala, Sports Illustrated
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Also, Williams' agent, Bob McClaren has spoken about his client's excitement...
"He is certainly enjoying his time with the organization. They’ve been tremendous to him and they have a great plan for the future, and Deron feels like the best is yet to come for the franchise. His hope is everything will work out to everyone’s benefit and a great product will be put out to the fans.
"He has told me several times how excited he is and how they’re trying to reach this whole new market and trying to retain some of the past...I know Deron is hopeful all this can work out like everyone is hoping and planning. I think he wants to be a part of it."
--April 30, Interview with Howard Abrams, New York Times