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SALT LAKE CITY -- All-NBA teams were just announced Wednesday. Of course NBA MVP Lebron James was a unanimous selection. Kobe Bryant, Dwayne Wade, Dwight Howard and Dirk Nowitzki rounded out your All-NBA first teamers.
The All-NBA second team consisted of New Orleans guard Chris Paul, Brandon Roy of the Trail Blazers, Tim Duncan of the Spurs, Paul Pierce of the Celtics and Houston center Yao Ming, who sustained a season-ending stress fracture in his left foot in Game 3 against the Lakers.
The third team has Denver's Chauncey Billups and San Antonio's Tony Parker at guard, Denver's Carmelo Anthony and the Lakers' Pau Gasol at forward, and Shaquille O'Neal of the Suns at center.
Which asks the question Chauncey or Deron?
The case for Deron Williams:
- Deron Williams averaged 19.4 ppg, 10.7 apg and shot 47 percent from the field.
- Chauney Billups averaged 17.7 ppg, 6.4 apg and shot 41.8 percent from the field.
- Deron Williams also played most of the year without two-time All-Star Carlos Boozer. Williams constantly had to deal with new lineups. His role changed from game to game: was he a scorer, distributor, teacher, vocal leader or leader by example.
- Williams also helped Paul Millsap develop into a near All-Star caliber power forward and Ronnie Brewer developed into a solid starting two guard.
The case for Chauncey Billups:
- Billups shot better from 3 (41 percent to Williams 31 percent) and from the free-throw line (91 percent to 85 percent) and averaged one less turnover a game.
- Billups numbers are significantly inferior to Williams, but there is no denying the intangibles that Billups brought to the Nuggets after he was traded from Detroit. Billups brought toughness and discipline to a team that was in desperate need for both.
- Billups is also a good defender that helped Nuggets coach George Karl convince the team to play team defense instead of just trying to intimidate teams with its physical/dirty play.
E-mail: dnoriega@ksl.com
