NBA elite to NBA obsolete

No NBA player can remain at the top forever. The time it takes for a player to go from elite to obsolete in the NBA ranges for each player, but two players in particular seemed to fall off the face of the earth. Derrick Rose and Deron Williams were both seen as arguably the best point guards of the league at different points in time, but now seem like the laughing stocks of the NBA.

Derrick Rose was not only the best point guard in the NBA, but was voted MVP of the league at just 22 years old in the 2010-2011 NBA season, making him the youngest to ever win the award. He was the next superstar in the NBA until his first injury in 2012, which began the descent of the former MVP. Since that injury, Rose has struggled to stay on the court. Over the past four 82-game seasons, he has played only 100 games. Rose finally appeared on the court at the end of last season to help the Chicago Bulls to the second round of the NBA playoffs and appeared to be heading into the regular season this year without any injuries. That was, until he suffered an orbital fracture on one of the first days of training camp. Although the injury should not cause Rose to miss any games this regular season, this fracture only adds to his collection of bumps and bruises throughout his career.

To make matters worse, Derrick Rose was also a part of a scandal this summer when one of his ex-girlfriends accused him and two of his friends of rape. He has not been proven guilty and continues to deny the allegations but was yet again at the forefront of the media’s attention for reasons other than his on-court performance. Nobody has questioned D-Rose’s talent, but his absence on the court has created a stigma for himself as an injury-prone player.

Deron Williams is a very different story from Derrick Rose, and although he's had injury problems of his own, his downfall from NBA stardom is much more perplexing. D-Will seemingly dropped off the face of the earth after leaving the Utah Jazz in 2011. He did boast quality numbers for a few years since leaving, but didn’t look like the same player he used to be. The Nets heading into the 2011-2012 season were seen as a serious threat to win the NBA championship when owner Mikhail Prokhorov brought Deron Williams, Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Andre Kirilenko to the newly relocated Brooklyn squad. The team has since been a huge disappointment, largely to the less-than-spectacular play from Deron Williams. In the case of Williams, it’s a bit of a mystery why his play has suffered so much the last several seasons. With the Utah Jazz, Williams was arguably the best point guard in the league along with Chris Paul.Deron Williams’ four-year stint with the Brooklyn Nets was seen as an utter disappointment, so he, along with Derrick Rose, are looking to rejuvenate their careers this upcoming year.