Nowitzki: I’d take Deron Williams over Chris Paul

From Tim MacMahon at ESPNDallas.com:

Utah Jazz point guard Deron Williams didn’t need an All-Star Game appearance to be considered an elite player.

This is a guy who annually ranks among the NBA’s assists leaders while averaging almost 20 points per game for a playoff team. His statistics compare favorably with John Stockton’s at the same point of their careers. He’s earned an Olympic gold medal.

“Actually, to me, he’s probably the best point guard in the league right now,” Dallas Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki said. “I’d actually take him over [Chris] Paul and the rest of them because he’s a big guard who can do it all.”