[tareef32Participant]

 I think that this one of the question marks about Derrick Williams. To me he is an undersized power forward. When he created shots for himself it was usually in the post or he was a catch and shoot player from the three. He doesn’t seem comfortable trying to create his own shot from the perimeter and doesn’t look quick enough laterally to stay with the small forwards in the NBA.  I believe that he said he wants to play the small forward position and although that makes sense because of his height I think he will be much more succesful playing power forward. Thoughts?

[PulseGlazerParticipant]

I don’t think he’s particularly undersized, but, yes, he’s a 4.

[ChameleonKidParticipant]

Despite what others may say, when I look at him, I see a power forward. Thats where I think he’ll play.

[IndianaBasketballParticipant]

He’ll play BOTH positions offensively.

The concern is which position he’ll be able to defend. It’ll be something he’ll have to work at as he gains experience in the pros.

He’s very strong, so I think he’ll start off defending power forwards. Hopefully, as his career continues, he’ll be able improve his lateral quickness enough to defend on the perimeter consistently.

A lot of people don’t remember, but Danny Granger started the same way. He played power forward during his rookie season and defended that position… He eventually transitioned his game out to the perimeter at both ends of the court.

[the I in winParticipant]

If he plays the 4 he needs to take advantage of his shooting and perimeter skill like David West.  If he plays the 3 he needs to take advantage of his size and strength like Thaddeus Young.

[GottaBeTheShoesParticipant]

 He is a SF….. He said it himself so i go with what he said… If SF doesn’t work then the team can move him to PF but first they should try him at SF because he could be real dominant from that position… He has good range and explosiveness and an athletic undersized PF is really a SF…  Defensively yes he may not be able to keep up with other 3’s but he may not be able to cover 7 footers like dirk…So really defensively he could have problems at either position. 

[JNixonParticipant]

He’ll play minutes at both forward spots.

[BBall4life88Participant]

I think players positions are overrated, it’s more about who you can guard and matchup with. If you can ball you’ll be on the court.

To answer your question, I think he can match up with most NBA SF’s, and he can take advantage of a lot of NBA PF’s, especailly the of slower PF’s. 

[Memphis MadnessParticipant]

Well, we are still asking the same questions about Josh Smith and LeBron James.  They are all oversized 3’s who aren’t big enough to dominate power forwards.  They aren’t that great at shooting jump shots but their post up games aren’t refined.

Derrick Williams is a great athlete, can finish inside or on the break, and can hit 3 pointers at a high rate.  He is also a good rebounder and shot blocker.  He is a small forward.  A finisher and scorer more than a dribbler, ball handler and passer, along the lines of Rudy Gay or even Dominique Wilkins.  Carmelo Anthony isn’t exactly the next dribbling, passing Larry Bird but he is a top 10-15 player anyway (even without elite hops like Rudy Gay or Derrick Williams).

[IndianaBasketballParticipant]

Antawn Jamison is another player who played power forward in college, yet was able to play both forward positions in the NBA.

He’s never been a great defender, but he has been able to defend both forward spots.

I just don’t see this being too big of a problem for Williams.

[bloodshyParticipant]

Utah, Minn or Cle trade their pick. As it stands right now, the 3 teams that are likely to pick Williams all have solid players @ PF–Utah and Cle have big needs on the wing.  As a result, he will definitely play SF unless trades are made. There is a small chance that in Min he’d play the 4 & Love would move to the 5, but that would only happen if their coach is as inept as their GM.  

IMO Williams has plenty of quickness to play solid perimeter D. He’ll need coaching and experience there, but he has the athleticism. The major concern will be getting him in the box after the shot is taken. It would be a shame to move such a fantastic rebounder too far away from the rack. 

[Memphis MadnessParticipant]

Derrick Williams has the most upside of anyone in this draft.

[GottaBeTheShoesParticipant]

 His position isn’t a problem. I mean to whoever picks him sorry you have to deal with a talented player that is a good shooter with great strength, good size that can play 2 positions is good at posting up, can shoot the 3, and rebound well.. again im sorry you will have to deal with that…

[larbear260Participant]

similar player to beasley and jamison, the ultimate 3/4 tweener players, i think it really depends on his teams roster and who they already have at the 3 and 4…however for cleveland to have him and jamison on the court at the same time i would have no idea who would be the 3 and who would be the 4

[JNixonParticipant]

Derrick Williams to me projects as a tweener scorer who rebounds alright and doesn’t play much defense. He’ll be pretty good, but not the type of player who will make a bad team good as a 1st option, or even as a true 2nd option.

[lbj_6]

I think he will play as an SF next year . He will also alternate with PF, but if joins the cavs,he will mostly play SF as the CAVS have no good SF.

[mikeyvthedonParticipant]

I do not know about him being able to defend both positions Indiana. Do you remember how badly he was destroyed by KG last year? Even before than, I think Antawn had issues defensively, his offensive ability just kind of made them less apparent, much like Zach Randolph in that regard. You kind of have to wonder why Antawn’s teams were usually so poor defensively. He never was on the best of teams, so maybe it was the luck of the draw, but Jamison certainly never really helped the matter. Than, when he was finally on a team ranked near the top of the league, he was completely exposed.

Derrick Williams defense might be enough for him to get by, but if you are hoping for him to be a really great player, he better have a niche at defending either the perimeter or the post, and hope that whoever else is in the line-up can take the guy Williams can not stick with. If not, expect Williams to get some nice numbers offensively, but for his team to tack on L’s. I think the Jamison comparisons are valid, and are an extreme compliment as far as ability to play either F spot on offense, but defensively, you really just have to hope he is more apt than Jamison at defending one spot or the other. When I look back on it, I kind of wondered why VC and Antawn never won a NCAA championship, their were two years where I had them as the favorite. Well, I am guessing defense is a strong possibility why they never hung that banner.

[B-ball fanParticipant]

 He may play both 3 and 4, but I think he will end up playing more 4.  He doesn’t play great defense, but he has pf size, with a standing reach higher than Joakim Noah, Al Horford, Drew Gooden, Blake Griffin and Ekpe Udoh.  I also think his defensive game has more potential against 4s, as he will never be particularily quick for a 3.  Many teams are favoring floor spacing 4s now, and I think his offensive value will be maximized playing the 4, where he can pick and pop/roll with ease.  He can be effective offensively at either forward position, but a team could take full advantage of his offensive skills at the 4.

[TRC1991Participant]

Like Josh Smith, he’ll be a combo forward. On defense, I think he’ll guard the other teams’ 3

[Mr. 19134Participant]

 Yes Derrick Williams is very similar to Jamison as I have been saying for awhile and he can play either Small or Power, and Jamison in fact was better at guarding the Small Forward position earlier in his career against guys like Glenn Robinson and Jamal Mashburn when the league still had bigger Small Forwards.  As he got older the league got smaller and Jamison became the perfect stretch 4 in todays NBA.

But the big difference between Jamison and Williams is strength and weight.  Williams is bigger and stronger then Jamison.  Sure they have be the exact same height but Williams broad shoulder’s, hard chest, and thick arms and lower body will enable him to guard Power Forwards right away.  Also his athleticism and lateral quickness will enable him to stay in front of most small forwards.  

Look what Michael Beasley did from the 3 spot last year in Minny.  Expect the same type of play from Williams as a 3.  If you look at the combine numbers Williams scored better then most of the big 2 guards and small forwards in the draft in both the 3/4 spring and the lane agility testing.  So to say he don’t have the lateral quickness is ignorant because he has more then enough.

But I think it was ESPN who just did a Synergy statistical breakdown on Williams.  And basically the numbers didn’t lie about Williams being one of the most efficient players in the past decade.  On catch and shoot situation out to the 3 line he was over 50%.  He also lead the nation in Isolation scoring.  These are a few of the stats that speak to how well Williams will be able to play Small Forward full time.  Williams is nearly unstoppable in one on one isolation plays from the perimeter and is also unstopable when left open or with a little space.  

Bottom Line is Derrick Williams is going to become a force at the Small Forward position.  His game honestly will most likely resemble Melo who bullies defenders into the lane and finishes strong.

[billykParticipant]

IndianaBasketball mentioned Danny Granger (as combo forward), I think Derrick Williams can be a more physical version of Danny Granger.. He may never shoot like Granger but I believe he will be a better slasher and rebounder..

[Winning_TimeParticipant]

He’s a fucking man child. He can handle playing Power forward and isn’t even really undersized in the league right now as most bigmen are becoming more versatile and shorter.

[JNixonParticipant]

“Look what Michael Beasley did from the 3 spot last year in Minny. Expect the same type of play from Williams as a 3. If you look at the combine numbers Williams scored better then most of the big 2 guards and small forwards in the draft in both the 3/4 spring and the lane agility testing. So to say he don’t have the lateral quickness is ignorant because he has more then enough.”

He’s not quick enough to defend most NBA SF’s effectively. Just because he was better than most of the SF’s in a pretty weak SF class at the combine doesn’t mean he’s going to be able to defend NBA SF’s that effectively. He might have more than enough lateral quickness in the combine, but I can see him right now struggling on D on the perimeter. And against PF’s for that matter.

[rhamnlacsonParticipant]

JUST TO MAKE THINGS CLEAR I DONT THINK HE’LL BE IN THE T WOLVES LINE UP FOR LONG I SEE AN UPCOMMING TRADE FOR A MAJOR SUPERSTAR IN THE FUTURE MAYBE JUST MAYBE THE LAKERS WILL GET HIM IF RUMORS CONCERNING BYNUM AND ARTEST ARE TRUE

[rhamnlacsonParticipant]

JUST TO MAKE THINGS CLEAR I DONT THINK HE’LL BE IN THE T WOLVES LINE UP FOR LONG I SEE AN UPCOMMING TRADE FOR A MAJOR SUPERSTAR IN THE FUTURE MAYBE JUST MAYBE THE LAKERS WILL GET HIM IF RUMORS CONCERNING BYNUM AND ARTEST ARE TRUE

[rhamnlacsonParticipant]

JUST TO MAKE THINGS CLEAR I DONT THINK HE’LL BE IN THE T WOLVES LINE UP FOR LONG I SEE AN UPCOMMING TRADE FOR A MAJOR SUPERSTAR IN THE FUTURE MAYBE JUST MAYBE THE LAKERS WILL GET HIM IF RUMORS CONCERNING BYNUM AND ARTEST ARE TRUE

[JoeJoParticipant]

 A PF based on the skills he showed in college.  Maybe he has more in his arsenal or developed during this offseason but he played center in college.  That’s a huge leap from playing center in college to playing SF in the NBA which is where some of the best athletes play.  It’s not that he was bound to the paint as a center but more that he rarely handled the ball for more than two dribbles or created his own shot from outside.  

These are the things I didn’t see him do in college:  

Create his own outside shot from the perimeter. Most of his outside shots were of the spot up variety, which is fine at PF but you’d want more from a SF drafted second.  As far his jumper goes, his release needs to be quicker.  You can get away with a deliberate release if you’re a big but you can’t get away with it against fleet SF running at your shot.  He also doesn’t have much experience handling the ball against ball pressure or aginst screens.

 

 

I

[JoeJoParticipant]

 A PF based on the skills he showed in college.  Maybe he has more in his arsenal or developed during this offseason but he played center in college.  That’s a huge leap from playing center in college to playing SF in the NBA which is where some of the best athletes play.  It’s not that he was bound to the paint as a center but more that he rarely handled the ball for more than two dribbles or created his own shot from outside.  

These are the things I didn’t see him do in college:  

Create his own outside shot from the perimeter. Most of his outside shots were of the spot up variety, which is fine at PF but you’d want more from a SF drafted second.  As far his jumper goes, his release needs to be quicker.  You can get away with a deliberate release if you’re a big but you can’t get away with it against fleet SF running at your shot.  He also doesn’t have much experience handling the ball against ball pressure or aginst screens.

 

 

I

[JoeJoParticipant]

 A PF based on the skills he showed in college.  Maybe he has more in his arsenal or developed during this offseason but he played center in college.  That’s a huge leap from playing center in college to playing SF in the NBA which is where some of the best athletes play.  It’s not that he was bound to the paint as a center but more that he rarely handled the ball for more than two dribbles or created his own shot from outside.  

These are the things I didn’t see him do in college:  

Create his own outside shot from the perimeter. Most of his outside shots were of the spot up variety, which is fine at PF but you’d want more from a SF drafted second.  As far his jumper goes, his release needs to be quicker.  You can get away with a deliberate release if you’re a big but you can’t get away with it against fleet SF running at your shot.  He also doesn’t have much experience handling the ball against ball pressure or aginst screens.

 

 

I

[omphalosParticipant]

I can’t remember who he was playing against, but there was a clip of him this summer where he was battling an NBA SF, or maybe SG, and he pulled off a nasty crossover dribble and went to the hole. I can see him playing the 3, and I see the T’Wolves trading Beasley soon after the season starts (assuming it does), after giving him minutes to get his stats and up his trade value. With the latest marijuana incident he won’t be worth as much as he should, but Beasley will probably be available for more than 2 second round picks after the season he just had in Minny.

Williams is a high character guy, he’ll work on his quickness and handle to play the 3, also, he already shoots very well from 3, so he’s not as far off Granger in that regard as you might think.

[omphalosParticipant]

I can’t remember who he was playing against, but there was a clip of him this summer where he was battling an NBA SF, or maybe SG, and he pulled off a nasty crossover dribble and went to the hole. I can see him playing the 3, and I see the T’Wolves trading Beasley soon after the season starts (assuming it does), after giving him minutes to get his stats and up his trade value. With the latest marijuana incident he won’t be worth as much as he should, but Beasley will probably be available for more than 2 second round picks after the season he just had in Minny.

Williams is a high character guy, he’ll work on his quickness and handle to play the 3, also, he already shoots very well from 3, so he’s not as far off Granger in that regard as you might think.

[omphalosParticipant]

I can’t remember who he was playing against, but there was a clip of him this summer where he was battling an NBA SF, or maybe SG, and he pulled off a nasty crossover dribble and went to the hole. I can see him playing the 3, and I see the T’Wolves trading Beasley soon after the season starts (assuming it does), after giving him minutes to get his stats and up his trade value. With the latest marijuana incident he won’t be worth as much as he should, but Beasley will probably be available for more than 2 second round picks after the season he just had in Minny.

Williams is a high character guy, he’ll work on his quickness and handle to play the 3, also, he already shoots very well from 3, so he’s not as far off Granger in that regard as you might think.

[omphalosParticipant]

I found it, it was DeMar Derozan, admittedly not a great defender, but certainly quick.

http://www.youtube.com/watch

[omphalosParticipant]

I found it, it was DeMar Derozan, admittedly not a great defender, but certainly quick.

http://www.youtube.com/watch

[omphalosParticipant]

I found it, it was DeMar Derozan, admittedly not a great defender, but certainly quick.

http://www.youtube.com/watch

[M-DYMESParticipant]

When I look at Derrick Williams, I just see a straight up baller.   This dude is a fighter, who is cold blooded and willing to do whatever to help the team win.  For those knockin his D, I think he’s gonna prove you wrong.  He had some huge clutch D performances in the tourney with those monsterous late game blocks.  He just seems to come up big on either side of the ball at the right time.  He seems like a blue collar type kid who is just gonna work his ass off until he has an allstar career IMO.

[M-DYMESParticipant]

When I look at Derrick Williams, I just see a straight up baller.   This dude is a fighter, who is cold blooded and willing to do whatever to help the team win.  For those knockin his D, I think he’s gonna prove you wrong.  He had some huge clutch D performances in the tourney with those monsterous late game blocks.  He just seems to come up big on either side of the ball at the right time.  He seems like a blue collar type kid who is just gonna work his ass off until he has an allstar career IMO.

[Author]

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