It is that time of year again. With the NBA Draft just a few weeks away it is time to start looking at players that the New Orleans Pelicans can potentially draft. While most of the players that we profile will be second round players since the Pelicans currently only have a second round pick, there will also be a few first round talents mixed in with the bunch as well. Considering the Pelicans are pretty set in the backcourt and at power forward the profiles will focus on wing players that fit into a small forward role and backup big men, places the Pelicans can stand to get a bit better.
In the second round of the NBA Draft, teams typically look for players that do something at an elite level. Earlier in the draft profile series we took a look at one of those type of players with Stanford wing Anthony Brown who is an elite shooter. There are other elite skills available in the second round though and one of them is something that the next player we will profile possess—rebounding. Alan Williams is hoping that his nose for the ball could earn him an NBA roster spot and for a Pelicans team that has plenty of scoring there is a chance that it very well may.
The Basics:
Age: 22
Height (with shoes): 6’8.25”
Weight: 261
Wingspan: 7’1.72”
Standing Reach: 8’10.5”
Max Vertical: 28.5
2014-2015 Stats: 17.6 points, 12.1 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 1.1 steals, 1.8 blocks in 33.3 minutes per game.
Draft Projections: Second round to undrafted.
Strengths:
Williams biggest strength by far is his rebounding ability. Despite being basically glued to the ground, Williams was able to corral an impressive 12.1 rebounds per game this season, a number that led the NCAA this season. Considering that rebounding is one of the stats that translates best from the college to pro game, Williams is a darling of analytics models despite all of his weaknesses.
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Williams also has some skill on the low block with good footwork, surprising agility for a player of his size and the strength that goes with his frame. While he is going to be undersized at center, the position his game translates best to, Williams should be able to score against mismatches and power forwards off the bench in the NBA. Considering his rebounding instincts should get him a few chances off the offensive glass each game, it is easy to see that touch translating into production.
Williams also is a better defender than he looks, as he actually did fairly well in the scrimmages at the NBA Combine. While he won’t ever be a lockdown defender, his mobility should make sure that he isn’t consistently picked on to the point that his rebounding won’t help a team.
Weaknesses:
The giant question mark surrounding Williams is if he can keep up athletically in the NBA. Right now his game profiles best at center but with just a 6’8” frame it is hard to see him fitting in there in the NBA. That means that his poor jump shooting must improve to the point that he can space the floor a bit more like a traditional power forward. Add to the lack of a jumper the fact that Williams possesses very little explosion and there are serious questions about his fit in the modern up-and-down NBA.
Finally, as his frame would suggest, Williams struggled a bit with conditioning at times which is a big problem. Considering that he is already on the low side of the athleticism scale, any extra pounds would slow Williams down and make his already low explosion even more of a problem when he arrives a half of a second late.
Projected Role: DeJuan Blair seems like the type of player Williams projects to being, without the knee problems. Williams rebounding should translate but there are so many other types of questions regarding his skill-set and his athleticism that it remains to be seen how he can get on the floor enough to allow it to matter. For a Pelicans team with a player like Anthony Davis though there may be spot minutes where Williams is useful.
Information from this post, including measurements, came from DraftExpress.
Next: Jonathan Holmes has no Elite Skill, Just Several Average Ones.
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