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44 - Robert Williams

6-9, 240 Power Forward/Center
Texas A&M Sophomore
Birthday
10/17/97 (26.4 yrs)
Hometown
Vivian, LA
High School
North Caddo
Team Site Profile
Statistics
Athleticism
9
Size
9
Defense
9
Strength
8
Quickness
9
Leadership
6
Jump Shot
6
NBA Ready
6
Rebounding
9
Potential
8
Post Skills
6
Intangibles
6

NBA Comparison: Stromile Swift

Strengths: Possesses really nice combination of size and athleticism … His huge (near 7’6) wingspan allows him to block shots and play bigger than his 6’9 height … 240 pound frame prevents him from being bullied around the rim … Moves very well for his size, both with and without the ball … Does a good job of anticipating where missed shots will go and is very good and getting position inside … Rebounds the ball high in the air, doesn’t just let the ball come to him … High rebounding rate on both ends of the court (12% offensive rebound rate, 23.7 defensive rebound rate for his career) … Rebounds with two hands and grabs boards both inside and outside of his area … High level shot blocker, uses anticipation, length and vertical to deny shots near the rim … Has worked to develop an offensive repertoire both facing up and on the low block …  Can use his explosive leaping ability to finish strong around the rim and has the strength to power through contact … Wants to play a physical brand of basketball which allows him to not only get to the free throw line, but also cause foul trouble for opponents … Not a black hole in the post, is willing to pass it back out and repost … Should be able to add muscle to his frame still … Doesn’t find himself in foul trouble often … Progressed from lower ranked prospect to a possible lottery pick … 

Weaknesses: Has a tendency to leave you wanting more. Disappears for stretches of games, particularly offensively … Competitive level has been questioned by some … Doesn’t always seem in control on the court, opponents can speed him up and make him uncomfortable … Has been working to extend his range, but still lacks any consistency with his jump shot … Very poor free throw shooter who needs work on his shot mechanics … Sometimes relies too much on his athleticism … Still a raw prospect who, despite making a big leap in development his freshman year, didn’t progress nearly as much as a sophomore … Can become complacent when the offense is flowing through teammates … Inconsistent performer,  especially as a scorer … Can struggle to make major offensive impact when he doesn’t have the physical advantage over his competition … Has a habit of posting in space instead of fighting his opponent for position … Some of his deficiencies have been covered up by playing in Texas A&M’s frontcourt (along with Tyler Davis) where teams can’t double Williams … Sometimes can find himself out of position defensively, this can likely be remedied with more experience, however … Was suspended to start sophomore season, raising some red flags …

Outlook: Williams projects as an athletic, energy guy inside that uses his athleticism to overwhelm less physically gifted players. He still has a lot of development to become a high caliber player at the next level, but if he can expand his game beyond exploiting his physical advantages, he could become a difference maker for a team.

Eric Yearian 3/20/18

Strengths: Huge upside … Has tremendous physical attributes with elite level length (7-foot-5.5 wingspan) and high level run/jump athleticism … Shows excellent rebounding ability, utilizing his length for rebounds … A dominant shot blocker showing the timing and aggressiveness to be a rim protector (2.5 blocks per game in 24 mpg) … Offensive game has a lot of promise as he shows the ability to legitimately create offense for himself at an early stage … Post moves, while raw are beginning to show promise as his footwork and touch around the rim continue to improve … Excellent in the open floor as he has elite level fluidity and run/jump athleticism … An explosive athlete that has begun to become comfortable attacking the rim off the face up, dribble drive … Has the length and athleticism to go right up and dunk over a lot of college opponents when he gets the ball in around the basket … Displays very good body control, and amazing explosiveness … Great hands give him the ability to catch errant passes and corral rebounds out of his area … Shows an aggressive nature, competes hard, doesn’t back down and will let his opponent know that he’s not afraid … A surprising mid-range shooter who has gained confidence in his ability to spot up or post up for 12-15 foot shots … Already close to 240 lbs and has the size to play both post positions at the next level … Should be able to comfortably add another 20-25 pounds without compromising any agility or mobility … Adept at absorbing contact and finishing and has no problem seeking out contact to draw fouls and in playing physical … Shows a tremendous amount of upside if he gets the proper coaching and develops dedication to honing his skillset … Has a jump hook over his left shoulder that he is beginning to gain confidence in … A very good passer for a bigman, which makes him difficult to double, even showing the vision and imagination to find teammates and create shots for them … Very coachable kid who has shown the ability to pick up things quickly … Charismatic, likable kid who can be unselfish to a fault …

Weaknesses: At times can be too unselfish, must continue to develop confidence in his abilities … A late bloomer who still seems to be picking up the nuances of the game … Still raw, lacking a great feel for playing in the post though his foot work and post moves are improving steadily … Must gain better timing in sealing his man and setting a wide base for post passes … Physical attributes are so elite that he is able to get by without utilizing a high skill level, for instance blocking out on rebounds, which will have to change against higher level athletes … For a quality shooter, he needs to improve upon his 59% FT, repetition over time should allow him to shoot at higher rate in the future … Still prone to making mental mistakes, lazy passes and unnecessary turnovers … Like any late bloomer, still has bouts of inconsistency within games, or games where he struggles to play with a high level of focus and energy throughout … Should look to square up to the basket on jump shots a little better as he currently has a tendency to square his body too far to the left on his release … Impressionable kid who still has a long ways to go to fulfill his vast potential. His ability to realize it figures to be contigent upon landing with the right organization/coaching staff/surrounding clubhouse … Struggled some against high level opponents, creating some questions whether he can have the same success against similar level athletes. Also has had the benefit of playing alongside a dominant college big in Tyler Davis, making teams unable to focus their top defenders on him a lot of the time …

Notes: Went from barely scratching many Top 50 recruiting lists (Scout 46, ESPN 50, Rivals 67)  following his high school career to arguably the top bigman prospect for this year’s draft … Developed his skill set under Coach Ron Meikle at North Caddo HS in Vivian, LA … Averaged 9 blocks per game for two seasons in HS … Measured 6’8.5’’ in shoes, with a 7’4’’ wingspan and 208 lbs at the 2015 Nike Basketball Academy … Considered a strong candidate to be a one and done and should contend for a spot in the mid/late lottery … Has among the most upside of any prospect in college basketball and could end up a multi-year All Star in the league if he realizes his potential …

Aran Smith 2/10/17

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