Strengths
Williams’ numbers dipped a bit compared to his junior season (21.3 PPG, 11.5 RPG and 2.4 BPG), but UC Santa Barbara’s big man was still a regular double-double threat thanks to his 7’2″ wingspan, his innate rebounding instincts and yes, his mammoth frame.
Currently projected as a late second-rounder in most mock drafts, Williams believes his elite rebounding (11.8 per game last season) is an NBA skill he can hang his hat on. His eyes practically lit up when he was asked what makes him such a great rebounder at his Suns pre-draft workout:
"“I study the game. I study the rebounding. I love to do it, it’s something that I really take pride in and my dad has drilled it in my mind and heart for so many years. It’s so impactful to go out there and get a defensive rebound, it’s stopping a possession. You have the opportunity to stop the offense from scoring. “It’s just such a huge impact and I think that NBA teams value it so much and I think that my ability to go out there and study my teammates’ shots and study my opponents’ shots to know where the ball’s going and track the flight of it makes me one of the top guys doing that.”"
If you got anything out of that, it’s that Alan Williams takes his rebounding very seriously. McDonough also acknowledged his impressive abilities on the glass.
“He’s a guy who does his work early, and what I mean by that is before the shot’s going up or as it’s going up, he’s already boxing out and holding his guy off to get offensive rebounds and put-backs, so he had a very productive career and it’s always good to see local guys do well,” he said.
Alan Williams (PF, out of my alum, UCSB!) after his Lakers workout: "I believe I'm the best rebounder in this draft class."
— Serena Winters (@SerenaWinters) June 2, 2015
In addition to his impressive instincts and abilities to pull down both defensive and offensive rebounds, Williams did the other things you’d expect out of a big man, providing shot-blocking and efficient low-post scoring with solid footwork, strength and decent touch around the basket.
His game replicates that of a center, so his 6’8″ frame could be problematic at the next level. But as a big man off the bench, he’d be capable of bolstering the rebounding in the frontcourt and throwing people around in the paint on the other end, which is all you can really ask of a second round selection.
Next: Weaknesses