Shaun Livingston and Deron Williams: a tale of two injuries

Beckley Mason writes Thursday about the Nets two point guards, both of whom now start, and how injuries define both their narratives ... for better or worse.

Livingston, he writes, is a great story because of his resurrection from the often described as "gruesome" injury that almost cost him his leg in 2007.  It's a great story, with a beginning --the injury; a middle --his recovery; and an end --his return to form.  D-Will, on the other hand, can't return so gloriously. His injuries,particularly to his ankles, are nagging, not dramatic and his off-again, on-again troubles are just frustrating, not elevating.

He describes Williams injuries this way:  "the series of injuries that are just debilitating enough to hold him back, but not severe enough to keep him out, has made it difficult to form that connection with a fan base still figuring out who the Nets are and what they’re about."

Mason uses 2007 as the launch point of his comparison: Livingston lying on the court in pain; D-Will soaring in the playoffs that same year, the promise of superstardom in sight.

No solution to either his injuries --or decline in fans eyes-- in sight, Mason thinks it's time for the Nets to treat him as the Heat treat Dwyane Wade: "The unfortunate fact may be that Williams' ankles need the Dwyane Wade treatment: rest on back-to-backs and more than 32 minutes of action only on special occasions."

• Splitting the difference - Beckley Mason - ESPN