2019 NBA Draft: 6 Reasons for Atlanta Hawks to Draft Grant Williams at #10 Overall

Offense: Free Throws, Rebounding, Passing & Screening

Elsewhere on the offensive end, Williams provides a plethora of skills that would make for an excellent fit on the Atlanta Hawks in the 2019 NBA Draft.

First off, Williams was a prolific and gifted foul-drawer, which was typified in a close game against SEC doormat Vanderbilt last season. In that game, Williams scored 43 points including a bonkers 23 of 23 showing from the foul line.

All told, Williams ended the season with a free throw rate of 63.7 percent per KenPom, which ranked 44th in the country and 6.8 fouls drawn per 40 minutes per KenPom, which was 22nd in the country. Williams uses his flurry of post moves as well as general bulk and a knack for drawing contact in order to grift his way to many, many foul line trips. Again, combined with Trae Young of the Hawks – who is a  gifted foul-drawer himself – the Atlanta Hawks would be living at the line.

Though a solid offensive rebounder too (8.8% OREB rate per KenPom, 17.4% DREB rate per KenPom), where Williams truly excels is with his passing. Though, again, most of Williams’s passing came out of the post, where he was a pass-first, score-second option for the Volunteers, Williams showcased a wide variety of passing abilities during his junior season, such as drive-and-kick scenarios, short-roll finds, lobs in the open court and pinpoint big-to-big passing in the paint.

Perhaps most importantly for the future of the Atlanta Hawks in the 2019 NBA Draft, Williams has proven himself to be a tremendous screener. Beyond providing another wrinkle to the Atlanta Hawks’ offense with dribble hand-offs, Williams often found himself wide open on rolls to the rim due to his mammoth frame and ability to leverage his position to carve out space for an open look. Once his three-point jumper fully develops – watch out!