Utah Jazz: D-Will hopes to be All-Star in Dallas

DALLAS — He was here Tuesday night, scoring a team-high 22 points in the Jazz's loss to the Dallas Mavericks, and he'll be back for another regular-season game Jan. 9.

But point guard Deron Williams really would love to be in the Dallas area Feb. 14, when the NBA holds its 2010 All-Star Game at the Dallas Cowboys' new stadium in nearby Arlington.

"It would mean a lot," said Williams, who feels he belonged in the 2008 All-Star Game at New Orleans.

"You know, I wish I would have had one by now," added Williams, who was Texas-raised and played high school ball locally at The Colony.

"But it would be special to have the first one in Dallas. Hopefully, all my family can come see me play."

Williams, however, has a habit of getting snubbed and overlooked.

Take a recent ESPN.com story about this season's NBA MVP candidates: Denver's Carmelo Anthony was the spotlighted front-runner, at least early on.

Incumbent LeBron James of Cleveland, 2008 winner Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers and two-time NBA MVP Tim Duncan of San Antonio were prominently included as candidates, too.

And listed as "others who may contend" were Boston's Kevin Garnett, Miami's Dwyane Wade, Orlando's Dwight Howard, Dallas' Dirk Nowitzki, New Orleans' Chris Paul, Chicago's Derrick Rose and even Oklahoma City's Kevin Durant.

Williams? No mention whatsoever for the Team USA Olympic gold-medal winning point guard.

Not that Jazz coach Jerry Sloan is concerned about any of that.

"I think that stuff takes care of itself," Sloan said when asked about Williams' chances. "I've always felt (that), even when John (Stockton) and Karl (Malone) were here ... 'I hope they all make the All-Star team. That means we've got a pretty good team.'

"But if that's what we play for, sometimes that gets in the way of winning."

e-mail: tbuckley@desnews.com