NEW YORK _ The ghost of Deron Williams haunts the Brooklyn Nets, and not just because he's still eating up over $5 million of the salary cap.
As Kyrie Irving defended his human nature to have mood swings Wednesday, it was a familiar throwback to about seven years ago, when the Nets handed the organization's keys to somebody whose happiness (or lack thereof) dominated the storylines.
Williams often said there were two dramatically different sides to his personality, and they felt random in their emergence: he was either Darren (nice, affable, smiling) or De-Ron (dismissive, scowling, angry). Taking Williams' temperature was a daily occurrence for years.
"I have not been clinically diagnosed with bipolar disorder. But I might have some sort of mood disorder or something of that nature in me," Williams said two years ago on his podcast 'Ballers And Brawlers.' "So I'm sure there's people out there that can say I've met Deron Williams, he's the nicest guy in the world, he's great with my kids. Then I guarantee you there are some people who can say, 'He's the worst, he's a jerk.' I guarantee you. And I don't like that. I hate that. It bothers me. Because I don't like being like that."
The Deron Williams era in Brooklyn was an abject failure. He was miserable and it killed the locker room. Reports around Irving's second season in Boston suggest something similar, although there are conflicting accounts about who should shoulder the most responsibility for that disappointment. Irving acknowledged he was a poor leader while grieving the death of his grandfather, but a source familiar with the situation said that young players, unhappy with their roles, rejected his leadership.
Then ESPN reported a few unflattering stories about Irving's first month with the Nets _ including his refusal to take off his hat for a team photo and him lapsing into an inexplicable funk one day in China _ and the discussion about Irving's mood swings resurfaced.
"Human beings have mood swings. It's OK to be human," Irving responded Wednesday night when asked if he wants to change the perception. "I don't have to be perfect for anyone here, nor do I have to be perfect for the public. So I'm not here to dispel any perception. I'm just here to be myself."
This is not to suggest Irving is on the same path as Williams in Brooklyn, just that there's recent precedent of trouble in Barclays Center when the star point guard can't find contentment. There are also two important differences to take into account: 1) Although Williams was considered one of the league's top point guards when he joined the Nets, Irving is definitely a better player and more accomplished; and 2) Irving, by all accounts, is liked by his Nets' teammates, whereas Williams was largely unpopular among players and staff.
No matter how this turns out, the Nets can no longer be the charming startup operating in a bubble and under the radar. Irving is a star and being treated as such. His mood swings are dissected. He dictates when or if he talks to the media. He has a personal security guard paid by the Nets, somebody who Irving knew from Cleveland and wasn't previously affiliated with the team. According to ESPN's Jackie MacMullan, who wrote about Brooklyn's challenge of incorporating two high-maintenance stars into an established culture, Irving refused to participate in the Nets' biometric tests before training camp.
Winning cures most ailments, which is partly why Deron Williams was never cured in Brooklyn and eventually waived. Irving has plenty of time to find harmony here but may have to wait for buddy Kevin Durant to fulfill the winning part. Until then, the Nets, Irving and coach Kenny Atkinson have to coexist successfully.
