This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2017, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Kyle Korver took the most memorable missed shot of the 2017 NBA Finals. Deron Williams has missed too many attempts to make any of them distinguishable from the others.
The Finals are not going well for the two Cleveland players who were anchors of some very good Jazz teams in recent history. The Cavaliers will try one more time to extend the series vs. Golden State in Friday night's Game 4 in Cleveland. Even if the series ending is inevitable at some point, there's something at stake for both teams as the Warriors attempt to complete a 16-0 playoff run.
In their first Finals appearances after long NBA careers (14 seasons for Korver, 12 for Williams), the ex-Jazzmen wish they could redo some of the shots that will haunt them. That's especially true for Korver, who missed an open 3-pointer from the left corner in the last minute of Game 3, with the Cavs leading by two points. Kevin Durant delivered a go-ahead 3-pointer at the other end and the Warriors went on to take a 118-113 win.
"I'm going to be thinking about that miss for a long time," Korver said.
So will Jazz fans who loved Korver during his two-plus seasons in Utah. The sentiment regarding Williams is different. Some percentage of fans always will blame him for coach Jerry Sloan's resigning in February 2011. Yet he also deserves credit for helping the Jazz become a consistent 50-win team that advanced in the playoffs. It took the franchise seven seasons after his departure to duplicate any of those achievements, and the Jazz have used 11 starting point guards since trading him.
So a little less glee regarding Williams' struggles in the Finals might be appropriate. D-Will is having a tough time, that's for sure. He's 0 for 11 from the field and scoreless in 36 minutes of three games, missing shots badly and generally looking a lot older than his age (he'll turn 33 later this month).
Williams played only four minutes in relief of Kyrie Irving in Game 3, although it should be noted that the Cavs outscored Golden State by four points with him on the court.
Williams is promised only Friday's game as another opportunity to score his first point in the NBA Finals. Korver has had two decent games, although he couldn't hit the dagger Wednesday. He has scored 16 points in 67 minutes of three games, and the Cavs like having him on the court for spacing purposes, even if he's not taking a lot of shots. Richard Jefferson, who spent the 2013-14 season with the Jazz, has scored 17 points in 44 minutes, but he struggled to stop Durant in Game 3.
As Jefferson did last June with Cleveland, former Jazz guard Ian Clark is positioned to earn a ring with the Warriors. He has scored 14 points in 39 minutes and has been a steady contributor throughout the playoffs. He'll have a place in history, if the Warriors finish 16-0. So will Deron Williams, if he finishes 0-for-whatever from the field.
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