Deron Williams Injured to Unknown Degree

Knock on wood, but this preseason has actually been rather mild in terms of star injuries. Jazz point guard Deron Williams, though, went down Saturday in a match in Chicago with an ankle sprain. How bad was it?

The last thing Jazz fans would have wanted to see was Deron Williams being carried off the court and wheeled into the locker room.

Not good, Utah. Not good. Ronnie Price is the back-up, and he is able in that role. But a team with designs on the Finals shouldn't be comfortable rolling without its talisman, and the Jazz are no doubt worried about this blow. Williams used crutches to get to the team bus, but snubbed reporters, earning the ire of Ross Siler of the Salt Lake Tribune.

Who Williams didn't talk to were the two Jazz beat writers, two guys who have driven across Illinois the past two days on a three-game preseason trip that has felt more like five. Two guys who, for better or worse, are supposed to be the public's conduit to the team. ...

I assume Williams is either scared about his ankle or wants to wait until Monday, when he knows definitively about how much time he will miss. But by blowing off the beat writers, all Williams did was generate more speculation about how hurt he is.

Siler goes on to mention some of the worst sprains from season's past, and intimates that if the injury is serious Utah could be without its star for a month. A salient worry, sure, but unnecessary hyperbole at this point. Siler does have a point -- what's there to do but guess if the team won't talk -- but playing the guessing game does no favors for the media nor the fans.