As camp opens, Deron Williams not 100 percent, but better than last season

Oh, hey, basketball must be almost here because Deron Williams' ankles are less than 100 percent.

Williams has had myriad ankle issues over the past several seasons, leading him to have surgery on both ankles this offseason. The hope of the Brooklyn Nets and their high-priced point guard was that he'd be ready to go for training camp, but Williams revealed on Friday that he's still not 100 percent.

He clarified, though, that he feels "20 percent" better than he was at any point last season, which is somewhat encouraging if you trust his self-diagnosis.

The harsh reality is that Williams' ankles are always going to be a concern, even if he's playing well. While he played 78 games in 2012-13, that's the only time he's played close to a full slate in the past four seasons, missing 16 percent of all games. What's more, Williams' effectiveness has declined as the health of his ankles have, with his numbers bottoming out at 16 points, 6.9 rebounds and a 17.6 player efficiency rating last season.

With three years and over $63 million left on his contract, the near-term fate of the Nets is resting heavily on Williams returning to full health. Patience in the preseason is probably the best prescrption, player.