D-Will's Bill Coming Due

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Deron Williams’ remarks after the Jazz’s lost to Atlanta, Wednesday night, reminded me of something that always lurks at the edge of my mind: He’s a fairly discontent guy.

That’s not to say he’s troublesome, or that he hates it in Utah, only that he wants to win. And if the Jazz don’t become a contender, he just might take the first flight out of town or the first free agency offer, whichever comes first.

That decision is coming fast. Williams’ contract goes through next season, after which he has a one-year option. In other words, he could declare himself a free agent a year from July. The way the Jazz continue to mess up against good teams and show they’re not a serious contender doesn’t bode well.

Just Wednesday night, he said, “I would say that we’re struggling, not beating the type of teams we will be playing in the playoffs — if we get to the playoffs.”

He went on to say, “We just have to figure out what is going on. I don’t know how, but we have to figure it out.”

Doesn’t sound like a guy who’s all that confident in his team.

Williams is prone to tell things the way they are, so maybe it was just momentary frustration. But he’s also extremely competitive and wants to be where he can win a championship. The Jazz have shown no inclination toward that. They are a good team, capable of beating the best but incapable of getting past the first or second round of the playoffs. Unless Mehmet Okur’s return dramatically changes something, don’t expect them to do better this year.

With that in mind, if I were a ticket-holder, I’d be worried that the Jazz aren’t showing enough signs of improving to keep Williams happy. And I’d look forward to the summer of 2012 like I look forward to tax day. The bill could soon be coming.