"Deron Williams was not John Stockton .

The Utah Jazz knew he wasn't.

They didn't expect him to be like the Hall-of-Fame point guard.

Yet, Williams turned out to be a premier playmaker, who used his own skills and style to help the Jazz win a lot of games during his 5-1/2 years in Utah.

To that matter, Devin Harris is not D-Will. He isn't Stockton, either.

Guess what?

The Jazz are OK with that fact, too.

Coach Tyrone Corbin trusts the former All-Star to run his offense. General manager Kevin O'Connor believes in Harris' leadership potential. Fellow point guard Jamaal Tinsley knows from first-hand experience how tough of a competitor the 28-year-old can be.

From top to bottom, the Jazz are comfortable and confident in their quiet and quick quarterback even if he didn't win the Wasatch Front over last spring.

"Devin's a very talented player," new Utah assistant coach Sidney Lowe said.

Harris, Lowe insists, stands on his own merits — yes, even in Utah, where one legendary point guard has his own street, statue and stellar image, and the other departed superstar still has a stronghold on the hearts of some Jazz fans who wonder what management was thinking to ship him to New Jersey 10 months ago."