Deron Williams will undergo an MRI Friday on his ankles that will decide if he will undergo offseason surgery, the point guard told reporters Thursday afternoon:
“I think so. I think it is,” Williams said Thursday when asked about the possibility of undergoing surgery. “Just to clean [stuff out], it’s nothing major.”
Williams has been hindered by lingering ankle injuries for the past two seasons. He received multiple cortisone shots and platelet-rich plasma injections to ease the pain, but the problem hasn’t gone away.
“I feel like I’ve kind of let people down, so I don’t like feeling like that,” Williams said. “I take my job seriously, I work hard in the offseason, I work hard every day. It’s just real frustrating not to be able to play how I’m capable of playing.”
This offseason, Williams is focused on getting healthy and returning to All-Star form.
“I used to step on the court and feel like I was the best player no matter who I played against, so I gotta get back to that,” he said. “Even if I’m not the best player on the court, I gotta feel like I am.”
Williams has a long and comprehensive injury history in a Nets uniform, and the specific issues with his ankles and confidence are well-documented. It’s possible that the Nets have never seen a fully healthy Deron Williams, which is part of what’s holding back his confidence. But if he hasn’t been healthy in three years, that Deron Williams may never return.
