2019 NBA draft profile: Grant Williams doesn't fill an obvious need but could still be a steal for Sixers

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As far as college success, Grant Williams is among the most accomplished players in this draft class. He won SEC Player of the Year his sophomore and junior seasons at Tennessee and was a consensus first-team All-American last year, when he averaged 18.8 points, 7.5 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.5 blocks per game. The 20-year-old Williams was part of the Sixers’ pre-draft workout group on June 8, which included Oregon's Louis King and Villanova’s Eric Paschall and Phil Booth.

  • Position: Forward
  • Height: 6-foot-7 
  • Weight: 240 pounds 
  • School: Tennessee 

Strengths 

Williams’ long list of strengths has to start with … his strength. His 20 bench-press reps at the combine were most of any player. He knows how to use that strength, too, and is excellent at drawing fouls, finishing through contact and muscling away opponents to earn post position and grab rebounds. As the hub of Tennessee’s offense, Williams was masterful operating from the high post and elbow regions as he showcased his ability to find open teammates, hit mid-range jump shots, seize offensive rebounds and generally make winning basketball plays in high-pressure situations. Defensively, Williams’ intelligence and competitiveness are outstanding foundational tools. He led the SEC in defensive win shares.

Weaknesses

At his workout with the Sixers, Williams acknowledged the weaker parts of his game. He doesn’t have an obvious position in the NBA, he didn’t get much experience guarding on the perimeter in college and he shot 29.1 percent from three-point range in his three seasons at Tennessee.

“I’ve never really believed in positions much because in this league nowadays, it’s not what you play on offense, it’s what you can play on defense,” Williams told reporters. “No matter how big or how small you are, if you can guard multiple positions and be versatile, I feel like you have a place in this league.”

The best case for Williams is he can indeed stay in front of perimeter players in the NBA while also being capable of defending power forwards and centers in smaller lineups. The worst-case scenario is he doesn’t quite have the necessary lateral quickness to guard wings, and that, despite having a soft touch and shooting 81.9 percent from the foul line last season, his range doesn’t comfortably extend to the NBA three-point line. 

Fit 

Williams is not a player who fits into a neat category, such as an elite shooter like Dylan Windler or an athletic big man like Daniel Gafford. He could help the Sixers’ bench right away as a player who can be used in a variety of lineups, and who has offensive skills besides the ability to catch and shoot. Senior vice president of player personnel Marc Eversley has said the Sixers will prioritize need in the second round (see story), which could hint at an openness toward taking the best player available at No. 24. If Williams is still on the board when the Sixers are up in the first round, he might very well be the best player left. 

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