A Closer Look At Derrick Williams

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dELefy2w6Kw

Many people were surprised when the Cleveland Cavaliers signed Derrick Williams to a 10-day contract last week. Taken second after Kyrie Irving in the 2011 NBA Draft, Williams had struggled to find his place in the league, and has played for five teams during his six seasons. Now playing for a team with a winning record for the first time in his career, Williams is being given a real chance to carve out a role with the Cavaliers, but the questions are many. What strengths and weaknesses does Williams bring to the Cavaliers? Do his skills fit what the team needs?

Attacking The Basket

Outside of the Big Three of LeBron James, Kevin Love, and Kyrie Irving, the Cavaliers lack players with the ability to both finish at the basket and get to the free throw line. Tristan Thompson draws fouls, but has been a poor free throw shooter throughout his career. Kay Felder and, to a lesser extent, Jordan McRae do a solid job of getting to the line, but are shooting just 42% and 41% on two-point shots, respectively. Meanwhile, Williams does an excellent job of getting to the line and converting. Per Basketball-reference.com, his career average of 7.5 free throw attempts per 100 possessions is third on the team behind Love and James, and his 71.2% free throw percentage is good enough to punish teams for fouling him. While he has shot a pedestrian 48.2% on two-point shots for his career, Williams has shot a very solid 63.3% on attempts within three feet, second only to James among the Cavaliers (Richard Jefferson is close at 63.2%, as he remains a tremendous cutter even as he has become less of a scorer over the years). Williams has good hands and runs the floor well, especially for a power forward. He does a nice job of cutting to the basket off the ball, a skill that has helped Jefferson remain effective playing alongside James, even as his outside shooting has slipped.

Spacing The Floor

At first glance, Williams doesn’t seem like a player who can space the floor at all. After all, he’s shot just 29.4% from three for his career. That’s not just below average, it’s bad. However, Williams has been decent from the corners during his career, particularly the left corner. Over the last three seasons, Williams has shot 45% from the left corner (23-of-51), but is at just 31% from the right corner. His shooting percentage from the right corner is pulled down by a poor shooting this season, as he is just one-of-nine from that area. He shot a respectable 35% from the right corner over the previous two seasons. No one’s going to confuse Williams with Kyle Korver or Channing Frye, but his combination of shooting from the corners and cutting to the basket should allow him to play well enough off the ball to fit into the Cavaliers’ offense, particularly when he shares the court with James.

Defense

This is where the cold truth of reality comes in. Williams has been one of the worst defenders in the league over the course of his career. He doesn’t block shots, and is below average on the boards for his size. This was the primary concern prior to the 2011 NBA Draft, as many experts considered Williams a “tweener” forward. They speculated that he wasn’t quick enough to guard small forwards, or big enough to guard power forwards. They were right in the sense that Williams struggles defensively. He doesn’t move his feet well, and cannot guard other perimeter players. Still, Williams is strong and athletic, and compares well to Thompson and Love in terms of wingspan and standing reach. He should be large enough — especially the small ball era the NBA is currently in — to adequately guard most power forwards. Nine coaches in less than six full seasons probably doesn’t help here, but the buck stops with Williams. The concept that he can help the Cavaliers defensively in a potential Finals rematch with the Golden State Warriors (based on his history) is absurd.

Minutes/Youth

These simple areas may be where Williams can help the most. Even if he just plays the four for the Cavaliers (unlikely, but possible), Williams can help limit the minutes of several players and fix some rotation issues. By serving as the fourth big man, he can soak up most of the minutes behind Love, allowing James and Jefferson to spend almost all of their minutes at small forward, and keep Channing Frye at center. The fewer positions other players have to play, the fewer minutes they have to play. It’s unlikely that Williams will ever live up to being picked ahead of the likes of Jimmy Butler, Kawhi Leonard, and Klay Thompson, but he is a legitimate NBA player. If he can provide needed depth for a Cavaliers team that should be focused on making sure they are as healthy as possible for the post season, then Williams will fill an important role on this team.

He could also fill a role for the Cavs going forward. Still just 25 years old, Williams brings an injection of youth to a team that has often been accused of having too many graybeards on its bench. Only Irving and Felder are younger, and Williams should be able to play at his current level — and quite possibly better — for at least five more seasons. While their championship window likely only extends as long as LeBron James is an elite player, it’s still important to look for young players who can potentially contribute to a contending team in the future. Considering their lack of assets, taking a chance on a former high draft pick who does have some definite NBA skills seems like as good a route as any to finding some young talent.

Whether he leaves after his 10-day contract is up, signs for the rest of the season, or is here for years to come. Derrick Williams has made quite the initial first impression with the Cavaliers and their fans. If he can play to his strengths and fit in with the first winning team he has been a part of in his NBA career, then he could be an important piece for the Cavaliers.