Deron Williams Injury: Updates on Nets Star's Calf and Return

Brooklyn Nets guard Deron Williams exited Friday's game against the Cleveland Cavaliers in the second quarter with a strained calf. He was later ruled out for the remainder of the game. The timetable for his return remains unclear.Rod Boone ofNewsdayreported the news:Tim Bontemps of theNew York Postprovides more information on the injury from Williams:Williams, 30, was injured on a play in which he did not endure any contact. It was not initially clear what the injury was or how he sustained it.A three-time All-Star, Williams' prime in many ways has been defined by injuries and his battling through them. He missed 18 games and parts of many others last season while dealing with ankle problems. Those absences were merely part of an all-around disappointing campaign in which a hobbled Williams produced a disappointing 14.3 points and 6.1 assists for a Nets team some expected to be a Finals contender.Offseason surgery on both ankles gave Williams new hope heading into 2014-15. Williams came into the season brimming with hope, saying the surgeries had him at 100 percent and indicating he should've had the surgery sooner.Anytime you cant walk, you cant run, you cant jump, its hard to play basketball, especially in this league, Williams told Andrew Keh of The New York Times. The only thing I wish is that I wouldve gotten surgery earlier.Losing Williams with his ankles fully functional is a frustrating blow. Brooklyn, though long removed from its Finals goals of a year ago, is still expected to compete for an Eastern Conference playoff berth. The team arguably made an upgrade at coach with Lionel Hollins and brought in the likes ofBojan Bogdanovicand Jarrett Jack to offset departures from Paul Pierce and Shaun Livingston.Should Williams miss time, Jack and Jorge Gutierrez will take over the point guard reins. Jack, in his first year with Brooklyn, came over in an offseason trade from the Cleveland Cavaliers in a LeBron James-related salary dump. Gutierrez, an undrafted free agent who joined the Nets late last season, has largely been confined to the bench thus far. While Jack is a capable backup and Gutierrez might be fine in short spurts, any prolonged Williams absence further neuters an already fangless Brooklyn offense. It'll be interesting to see how willing Hollins is to rely on the aging legs of Joe Johnson to prop up the attack.Follow Tyler Conway (@tylerconway22) on Twitter
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