NBA Draft Bio: Patrick Williams

November 16, 2020

Road to the Draft

A native of Charlotte, North Carolina, Williams averaged 22.1 ppg, 9.0 rpg, 3.1 apg with 2.8 blocks & 1.9 steals per game in high school. He played in the Jordan Brand Classic game and was a top-40 recruit, being pursued by Arizona, Louisville, Texas and Wake Forest, amongst others. As a Freshman at Florida State he averaged 9.2 ppg, 4.0 rpg, a team-leading 1.1 blocks & 1.0 steals in 22.2 minutes. Looking at those numbers on a per 36 basis and they turn into 16.4 ppg 7.1 rpg, 1.8 apg with 1.8 steals & 1.8 blocks. He was named to the All-ACC Freshman Team and earned the Sixth Man of the Year honors.

Strengths

Standing 6'8", with a 6'11" wingspan and weighing in at 225 lbs., Williams is a physical specimen, combining quickness and leaping ability. He can guard multiple positions and is a promising defender, playing an aggressive brand of one-on-one defense. He is still learning to be a better help defender, while also improving as a rim-protector. FSU ran a well-balanced attack, with no focal point, and Williams showed well-rounded skills to fit within that offense. He displayed the mid-range game, an outside shot and the ability to get to the hoop and finish powerfully at the rim. Not shy about contact, he shot 83.8% from the free throw line, showing the potential to develop his stroke. 

Weaknesses

His offensive instincts haven’t fully developed, and he lacks the will to be more than a complimentary scorer at the moment. His rebounding needs to improve moving forward given his size and natural physical tools. His back-to-the-basket game isn’t refined, and his footwork around the basket needs to be worked on. 

Overall Outlook

Williams comes into the draft as one of the bigger projects in the lottery, due to his relative youth and lack of offensive game. He won’t be making huge impacts for the team that drafts him right away. If he is picked by a team that will take the time to develop his skills, he could turn into a solid 2-way NBA player. His defense will keep him in the NBA, as he has the potential to get 2+ blocks and steals – a Shawn Marion-type of stat. If he can impact the game on the defensive end, and develop a consistent shot to go along with his slashing abilities, we could have a future All-Star coming out of Florida State.

Photo Credit: Logan Stanford/Icon Sportswire



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