Even though Carlos Boozer was named the Western Conferences Player of the Month for February, it’s clear the man leading Utah into the playoffs is Deron Williams.

Sure, Boozer posted an impressive stat line of 21.2 points and 13.0 rebounds in February, but after watching Williams dissect Toronto’s defense on Wednesday night there’s no doubt in my mind that he’s the catalyst on the court for Utah this season.

Just glancing quickly at the numbers, Williams posted 16 assists against Toronto while the Raptors combined for 13 assists as a team. Throw in the fact that Toronto’s point guards combined for four assists and it’s clear point guard play was a big reason why Utah crushed Toronto by 26 points.

“I told him on the bench this might be the best four games I’ve ever seen him play,” Boozer boasted to Hoops Addict after Utah’s win over Toronto. “They couldn’t stay in front of him so they went to that zone to try and protect their point guards but he still managed to get everybody involved.”

The fact he got everyone involved isn’t something that fans should overlook.

As great as a stat line of 18 points, 16 assists and eight rebounds is, arguably the biggest impact isn’t just on his stats or that of Boozer – it’s the fact he’s able to get his team to play at a high level while utilizing players such as C.J. Miles and Wesley Mathews.

Miles and Mathews both started for Utah and despite being players that only die-hard fans would recognize, they combined to go 10-21 from the floor and scoring 28 points.  The reason those players had so much success was due to Williams finding those guys in transition or he got them looks in spots where they are comfortable shooting the ball.

While talking with Miles after the game it became clear the young forward appreciates the chance to play alongside Williams because it makes the game a heck of a lot easier for him.

“We run the floor harder knowing he’ll get us the ball,” Miles told Hoops Addict earlier this week. “You cut harder and guys all set screens. It makes for greater continuity on the court having him direct us because he does a great job of finding us.”

What a novel concept: a point guard who motivates his teammates to play hard while helping them and the team achieve success.