2011 NBA Draft Scouting Report: Derrick Williams

Written by Paul Banks of the Washington Times, and David Kay of the The Sports Bank.
Send Paul an e-mail here: paulb05 AT hotmail DOT com.
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2011 NBA Draft Scouting Report: Derrick Williams

Position: Power Forward

Size: 6-8, 240

School: Arizona, Sophomore

Strengths:

Incredible athleticism

Explosive at the rim

Exploits bigger defenders with his quickness

Has a great feel for the basket when playing along the baseline

Great spin move to the hoop when his back is to the basket

Length serves as an asset on the glass and as a shot blocker

Solid ball handler for his size

Runs the floor well

Weaknesses:

Needs to become stronger and more physical

Struggles guarding bigger players in the post, often getting into foul trouble

Too often goes for the monster block which adds to his foul trouble

Range on his jump shot

A tweener forward

Summary: Williams made a splash in his first year at Arizona earning the Pac-10 Freshman of the Year honor. His athleticism is off the charts for someone his size, but he needs to develop his perimeter game and become stronger if he wants to reach his full potential as an NBA power forward. He would be an intriguing first-round prospect if he decided to delcare after his sophomore season.

Player Comparison: Tyrus Thomas. In terms of their athleticism and explosiveness, Thomas and Williams are both extremely gifted. Thomas has struggled in the NBA because he is still trying to figure out what kind of forward he is. Like Williams, Thomas is not a consistent enough perimeter shooter to play the three, but also lacks the physicality and strength of a true four. Williams will also have to figure this out if he is going to find a home in the league.

RELATED LINKS:

2011 NBA Mock Draft

2012 NBA Mock Draft

2011 NBA Draft Prospect Rankings

2011 NBA Draft Scouting Reports

Written by Paul Banks of the Washington Times, and David Kay of the The Sports Bank.
Send Paul an e-mail here: paulb05 AT hotmail DOT com.
All other e-mail, including advertising and link proposals, send to: [email protected]

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