Scouting Patrick Williams and his potential fit with the Atlanta Hawks.
The 2020 NBA Draft class looks to be one of the deepest in recent memory. There are many intriguing options outside the lottery that the Atlanta Hawks could take a look at, including Florida State big man Patrick Williams.
The 6’8 forward had a great freshman campaign, being named to the ACC All-freshman team and winning the conference’s sixth man of the year award. He averaged 22.5 minutes per game in 29 appearances, doing a bit of everything on the court.
Williams stuffed the stat sheet by averaging 9.2 points, 4.0 rebounds, 1.0 assists, 1.0 blocks and 1.0 steals per game while shooting 46 percent from the field. He’s seen as a jack of all trades, master of none type prospect, which won’t get him consideration too early in the draft, but his two-way upside should be enough to have his name called in round one.
He brings great length with a 6-11 wingspan and uses it well on defense. He’s a smart off-ball defender and has a real ability to jump into passing lanes for steals. Williams can defend both inside and out but can be blow-by bait if matched up with a shifty guard on the perimeter.
Offensively, he’s a nice pick and roll big man, and can finish with both dunks and layups. One of the biggest knocks on him in college was his lack of consistency on that end, and he’ll probably take a few years to even out in the NBA.
Williams showed that inconsistency s a floor-stretcher and was very hot and cold from beyond the arch. His offensive rating of 106.9 is worse than comparable prospects like Jalen Smith (123.9) and Paul Reed (109.6) who are both supposed to go in the late first round as well.
Williams is just 18, and he will be on draft night as well, making him one of the younger prospects in the class. That is one of Williams’ most appealing qualities, and he could be a very nice G-League stash for a contending team picking in the late first.
Fit with Atlanta Hawks:
Obviously, the Hawks aren’t a contending team picking in the late first, but they could land Williams by trading down. If they did so, they’d be getting a low-floor, high-ceiling player who could be a long-term backup.
He could definitely be a recipient of Trae Young‘s lobs in the P&R game, although he’d need to polish his three-point shot to fit perfectly in Lloyd Pierce’s free-shooting system.
Should the Atlanta Hawks draft Patrick Williams?