Draft Profile: Arizona SF Derrick Williams

Derrick Williams #23 College: Arizona Class: Sophomore NBA Position: Power Forward Height: 6'8" Weight: 235 lbs Birthday: 5/25/1991

Player Biography: No freshman flew as quietly under the nation's radar as Derrick Williams. As a freshman, Williams averaged an extremely efficient 15.7 points and 7.1 rebounds per game. Now a sophomore, Williams has only improved his play and his draft stock, posting nearly 20 points on 63% shooting with 8 rebounds per game. Offensively, Williams well-rounded, scoring in the post, creating in isolation, and flashing three-point range. Williams is capable defender at this point, but he may struggle transitioning to the next level. Ultimately, I think Williams' stock comes down to his size. Is he big enough to play power forward in the NBA? If not, will he be able to transition to the 3?

Strengths:
Williams' biggest strength is his ability to score. He uses his quickness and ball-handling skills well, which allows him to score at a very high rate in isolation situations, which should translate to the NBA. Williams also works effectively out of the post, but he his lack of size may limit him somewhat at the next level. As a shooter, Williams hits at a high percentage on perimeter jump shots (including 56.8% on 2 3PA/G). He also shows good effort defensively. A good athlete for power forward, Williams has some mismatch potential.

Weaknesses:
As mentioned previously, the biggest question mark about Derrick Williams is his size, especially as it applies to his defensive potential. He is clearly a tweener. At just 6-8, 235, Williams lacks prototypical power forward size. Though this may not hurt him offensively, he will have difficulties matching up defensively. As a result, he may be pushed to small forward, where he may struggle against quicker perimeter plays. In addition to these questions, Williams is also just an average collegiate rebounder, which may also hurt his chances at succeeding at power forward.

Links:
• Arizona Player Bio: Derrick Williams
• ESPN: Derrick Williams Statistics