Harry How/Getty Images
Many younger fans might not remember it today but there was a time when there was a legitimate debate as to who the better point guard out West was: Chris Paul or Deron Williams.
Obviously, in hindsight, that debate looks silly but in his prime, Williams was one of the best lead guards in the league and gave Paul a run for his money.
Regardless, Williams was snubbed of All-Star honors at the height of that debate back in 2007-08. That season, the Utah Jazz point guard was averaging 19.1 points and 9.7 assists at the All-Star break while shooting over 51 percent from the floor and over 40 percent from three. The Jazz were a strong team that season, too, finishing 54-28 on the year and getting to the second round of the playoffs behind the stellar scoring and playmaking of Williams.
What ultimately ended up costing Williams his All-Star spot that year was the fan vote, which saw NBA supporters vote in fan-favorite Allen Iverson as the All-Star starter at point guard, causing the coaches to have to use the other lead guard spots on Paul, Brandon Roy (a monster before the injuries) and two-time league MVP Steve Nash, leaving Williams out in the cold.
Yes, that was Iverson’s last great year in the NBA so he probably deserved his All-Star spot as he averaged over 26 points and seven assists that campaign, but according to multiple advanced metrics, Williams was the better player that season. As further proof, Williams finished 2007-08 as a 2nd Team All-NBAer while Iverson didn’t get any All-NBA honors, so it’s debatable who should have been the All-Star that year.
Oh, and for good measure, Williams was selected the following summer to play for a legendarily loaded Team USA squad at the Summer Olympics as a member of the Redeem Team.
So ultimately, Williams, who would go on to make three All-Star appearances in his career after that, ended up bouncing back nicely from the snub.
