Where Will North Caddo’s Williams Go In The NBA Draft
Robert Williams III was a star at North Caddo, and a star at Texas A&M...but will he be a star at the NBA level?
Well, he'll get his shot. Tonight Williams is expected to go in the first half of the NBA Draft. Scouts are excited about his athletic ability, especially on the defensive end. They also talk about his dunking ability, which is one of the biggest star-making qualities when it comes to the NBA.
Here's what some scouts say:
"In a game that is getting more athletic by the day, Williams fits right in.
Sure, the highlight-reel dunks get most of the attention, but it goes deeper than that. Williams moves extremely well on the floor, whether in tight spaces or out on the break. He also displays the ability to handle paint catches or lobs at the rim.
Still, it’s the mix of skills on the defensive end that could make Williams special. He’s an aggressive defensive rebounder. And even though he’s a shot-blocking threat, the 20-year-old doesn’t typically chase his way into falling for pump fakes (just 2.0 fouls a game during college career)."
"When he was unable of simply catching-and-dunking, Williams still showed nice touch on non-dunk finishes, impressing especially in the aforementioned plays where he needed to navigate his way through the in-between area, converting 72.4% of his 145 shots at the rim.
But as impressive as his finishing is, the chance of him potentially going number one overall in the draft is mostly linked to his ability to turn his jumper into a reality."
But maybe the most important part about being a star in the NBA is where you play. I'm sorry, but you're not going to be a star in Charlotte, Sacramento, Memphis, or Portland.
So where Williams go could play into his star-making process. If he goes to a big market, and can dunk like a madman, he'll be a star. DeAndre Jordan wouldn't be a big deal if he was putting down monster dunks in Phoenix, but because he was doing it in Los Angeles, people paid attention.
Let's look at the markets Williams could be heading too. Here are the projections according to mock drafts:
CBS Sports - #12 Overall, Los Angeles Clippers
Sporting News - #19 Overall, Atlanta Hawks
Sports Illustrated - #12 Overall, Los Angeles Clippers
NBADraft.net - #15 Overall, Washington Wizards
ESPN - #13 Overall, Los Angeles Clippers
SBNation - #13 Overall, Los Angeles Clippers
Yahoo Sports - #15 Overall, Washington Wizards
NBA.com - #13 Overall, Los Angeles Clippers
So it sounds like the Clippers will be scooping him up, if he's available at their picks. Which would fit into the concept we have been looking at. If he ends up in LA, with highlight reel dunks, he's going to be a star. But with a couple places slotting him for Washington, that could be trouble. Not that it would ruin the young man's career, but if we're talking about being an NBA "Star" it's much easier to do it in LA, than DC.
But at this point, we have to wait to see what happens in the Draft before we can talk about Williams becoming a star.