The Brooklyn Nets were handed their exit papers by the Atlanta Hawks in Game 6 on Friday night.
However, anyone watching the Nets Game 5 victory over the Hawks saw a throwback Deron Williams, who became his team's hero, sinking 13-of-25 shots from the field and seven from beyond the arc.
But coach Lionel Hollins was honest with the media on Saturday, confessing that the point guard was no longer a franchise player.
"He's not a franchise player anymore," said Hollins. "He's a good player, he's a solid player, but I don't think he's a franchise player anymore. That's just my opinion. He's a good player. I'm proud of the way he's bounced back and played, and there's so much pressure on him to be a franchise player."
Hollins knows that Brooklyn's hopes for a championship cannot rest on one single player and that the Nets must play like a team.
"That means we have everybody going out there and playing hard, playing together, sharing the ball. If a guy is open, he makes a shot. If a guy is not open, he passes to another guy and he makes the shot. To me, that's what basketball is about. It's not about a franchise player. I mean, those guys come along once in a lifetime, and everybody doesn't get a chance to coach one."
Williams has played through seemingly constant injuries during his time with the Nets, struggling with severe tendinitis in his knee, a finger injury, and an apparent thigh bruise this season. He posted 11.8 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 5.5 assists in the post-season.
The 30-year-old chose not to talk to the media on Saturday morning.
Coach Hollins stressed that a franchise player is not the key to claiming the top position in the league.
"When you don't have one, you can't say you can't win. There are teams that have won championships without franchise players, what everyone considers a franchise player. I'm not worried about that. That's something you guys talk about and worry about. I worry about us going out there and playing hard, playing together and trying to scratch and claw to win a game. That's what it's all about."
