Atlanta Hawks NBA Draft: 5 players to avoid with the 20th pick

Atlanta Hawks NBA Draft prospect to avoid No. 3: Stanford forward Ziaire Williams is talented but could be redundant on this team

2021 Stats: 10.7/4.6/2.2; .374/.291/.796

Lackluster stats aside, Ziaire Williams possesses a lot of traits that could make him an enticing option for a lot of teams. He’s long, listed as standing just over 6-foot-9 in shoes with a 6-foot-10 wingspan. He also has a knack for creating his own shot, a useful skill in any player, regardless of position.

One of the things you repeatedly see on reports about Williams — who weighed in at 188 pounds at the NBA Combine — is his lack of strength.

More than just his current ability to fight through contact, it’s his narrow build that has some wondering how much he will physically fill out. This, in turn, has them wondering how much of an asset, or liability, he will be defensively at the next level.

Williams is also not the most explosive player which, when combined with his lack of strength, further clouds how effective he can be. He clearly didn’t have the most efficient season as it is. Stanford also went just 14-13, including 10-10 in conference play. He was more efficient from the floor in conference play, though his overall production remained roughly the same.

This is another instance of a player that might fit better with a team that isn’t as far along as the Hawks are. Williams has the look of a modern wing. The Pac-12 also had an interesting year dealing with COVID differently than other conferences.

But remember, this Hawks team won a pair of games in the Eastern Conference Finals.

At 19 and with such a steep hill to climb, he may not be on a timeline that matches up with Atlanta’s. Perhaps, like with Dosunmo, a trade down makes him more palatable.

But the Hawks need to add help now, either for a need that already exists or one that could be created through some trade in the future. That isn’t Williams, no matter how much he could eventually turn into an ideal fit.