Brooklyn Nets’ Deron Williams wanted to come off of the bench

After missing five games because of an ankle injury, Brooklyn Nets’ point guard Deron Williams returned to the court on Monday afternoon.

Williams came off of the bench to score 13 points on four-of-10 shooting with three rebounds, three assists and a steal in the Nets’ 103-80 victory over the New York Knicks.

Despite the absence of Williams, the Nets have played much better as of late. They have won two straight games and seven of their last eight.

Williams did not want to disrupt the chemistry the Nets have formed, especially with the way Joe Johnson has played.

“It was my idea,” Williams told Brett Pollakoff of Pro Basketball Talk. “Just because we had been playing so well with that lineup, why shake things up? It doesn’t matter if I come off the bench, start, whatever. The way [Joe Johnson] has been playing in first quarters, first halves, I don’t want to disrupt that.”

Although they’ve enjoyed success without Williams, the Nets know they need him if they hope to make any noise in the postseason.

“We need Deron,” Paul Pierce said. “No matter how we’ve been playing, at the end of the day if we’re going to make some noise here in the East, we need what he’s able to do.”