Deron Williams admits he was "never healthy" last season

Brooklyn Nets point guard Deron Williams shined in last night’s 110-99 victory over the crosstown rival Knicks, scoring 29 points and dishing out 6 assists in a team-high 33 minutes. He finally looked healthy, a stark contrast from last year’s injury-plagued season in which various ankle injuries limited him to 64 games and severely hampered his production.

On Saturday, Williams spoke to reporters about his injury woes from last season.

"I was never healthy last year, the whole year," Williams said, according to ESPNNewYork’s Mike Mazzeo. "There was never a point last year where I was healthy. I just don't like talking to y'all about my health. That's why I don't want to talk to you all now about my health. I would like to put my health behind me and move on to bigger and better things." 

"I don't want a pity party or anyone to feel sorry for me, that's not what it's about," Williams continued. "Nobody will know what I went through the last few years -- physically, mentally, it was definitely a strain. But it makes you stronger, it makes you immune to people talking bad about you. I'm excited about this year and I'm trying to put those last two years behind me. They weren't how I wanted to start my time in Brooklyn. But it is what it is, and now I can move forward.”

Williams has had an exceptional start to the 2014-15 season. In five games, he’s averaging 19.8 points and 7.0 rebounds on 47.3% shooting. Most importantly, he’s playing 37.6 minutes, fourth in the NBA.

Williams also spoke about how his confidence, which he admitted was low last season, is returning:

"I'm getting that confidence back where I step on the court and I feel like people can't guard me," Williams said. "Like I said, I had some explosive moves where I haven't been able to do that in a long time, and I could tell, even watching film, that I'm a lot quicker out there." 

"This is the NBA, but before my injuries, I didn't feel like anybody could stop me 1-on-1. I just feel like if you put one person on me, it's gonna be hard to stop me, and I'm getting back to that."

A high-caliber season from the point guard, who’s beginning his fourth full season with the Nets organization, is vital to the team’s success. While his play will probably never return to the level it was at with the Utah Jazz, nothing is stopping him from having a very good 2014-15 campaign.

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