"Deron Williams is about to make his first trip to EnergySolutions Arena as a visitor.

Conflicting emotions might bounce around with butterflies underneath his No. 8 Nets jersey tonight, but Williams eagerly anticipates his Utah homecoming — with excitement, not edginess or resentment.

"I'm not nervous," Williams said Friday about returning to his old stomping grounds with New Jersey. "I'm excited."

Williams, one of the most respected and reviled players in Jazz franchise history, also has a hunch as to how the question du jour will be answered.

Will Jazz fans boo or cheer D-Will?

Simply put, yes.

"I'm sure there are going to be some mixed reviews — people that boo me, people that cheer for me," Williams said. "I'm not too concerned with that. I'm just excited to go play in front of those fans again."

It's been almost a year since that happened.

And he was greeted with mixed responses then, too.

On Feb. 9, 2011, Carlos Boozer received expected boos — not Booz! — from Jazz fans when the Chicago Bulls played in Utah. More importantly that night, Williams and Jerry Sloan had a well-publicized locker-room feud — one that played a part in the Hall of Fame coach resigning midway through his 23rd season the next day."