Nets Waiting on Williams

Harvey Araton of the Times tagged along on Avery Johnson's tour of Barclays Center last week, one where he met and thanked construction workers, visited the site of Mikhail Prokhorov's super suite,  talked abut his experience with another billionaire and took a long view of where Deron Williams fits in the Brooklyn marketing campaign.

"We take Deron for his word," Johnson said during his first arena site tour. "He was here. He’s seen this now. He sees our vision." He also agreed with Araton's suggestion that it would be good if D-Will saw a playoff run next season (whenever it begins) as "a sign of measurable progress".

Still, Johnson believes there's no reason why Brooklyn can't become an NBA power just as San Antonio did and Williams can become more than just a face on a nearby billboard.

• Nets’ Dreams Are Still Under Construction - Harvey Araton - New York Times