Utah Jazz: Williams insists he's no 2 guard
He was back there for stints during the recently concluded Summer Games in China, alongside buddy Chris Paul while helping Team USA win Olympic gold.
And there he was again Saturday, filling the two spot at times while free agent Gerry McNamara — returned from whiplash and a sore jaw that caused him to miss training camp sessions both Thursday and Friday in Boise — ran the point during a 32-minute, open-to-the-public team scrimmage at EnergySolutions Arena.
Yet the last place Deron Williams wants to be when the 2008-09 NBA season begins later this month is at shooting guard for the Jazz.
"I hate playing the two," Williams said after scoring 22 points to help his White squad to a 76-76 tie with the Blue on Saturday. "I don't like playing the two. I'm a one. I like to have the ball in my hands."
Besides, the Jazz's starting point added, "We have enough two guards on this team. I don't need to play the two."
The Jazz are indeed deep with talent who can play the position full time or for stints. There's starter Ronnie Brewer, backup Kyle Korver, starting small forward Andrei Kirilenko, reserve swingman C.J. Miles and combo guard Ronnie Price.
"There might be times that we do that," Sloan said after Saturday's scrimmage, which also featured Brewer scoring 20 points on 8-of-10 field shooting (but missing a potential game-winning jumper for the Blue). And Korver scored 16 with 7-for-8 shooting.
"It's not a guarantee or anything," he added. "It's (just) that some of the teams you play against probably will be able to play smaller, and Deron can play there because he's done it in the past. It's not a big deal for him."
Then again ...
"I feel uncomfortable when I'm playing the two," Williams said. "I mean, I don't feel 'uncomfortable.' I can play the two. But that's not my position."
E-mail: tbuckley@desnews.com
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