Robert Williams Scouting Report

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Robert Williams (Big, 20, 6'9", 237 lbs)

Statistical Profile

Strengths

Williams is incredibly strong and explosive, and profiles as an ideal modern center despite standing 6'9" due to his elite agility. He covers ground exceptionally quickly and needs no load time to sky for rebounds, blocks or dunks. He has a great wingspan for his height at 7'4" and is a brilliant rim runner when used in that role, showing great ability as a lob catcher.

He spent a lot of time at Texas A&M next to a more conventional center which didn’t allow him to effectively or consistently showcase his skills as a dive man. He projects as a great dive man but there is little evidence of this skillset. According to Synergy, he only finished 17 possessions all season as the roll man in pick-and-roll. However, his time playing at the four helped develop his skills as a high-low passer and he began to step out a bit his sophomore season with a face up mid-range jumper. When he plays in the post against switches, he establishes great position and has good touch around the rim using his length to get the ball over contests.

Defensively, Williams has a very high upside. He has elite foot speed and quickness and he will be perfect for the modern NBA due to his ability to switch without concern and contest out to the perimeter. His defensive versatility as a five is only matched by Jaren Jackson in this draft class. He is a great shot-blocker and shot-alterer with a massive block radius due to his wingspan and leaping ability. His explosiveness and length make him a superb rebounder on both ends and he is a brilliant high-point rebounder.

Weaknesses

Williams biggest weaknesses are intangible concerns. He has an inconsistent motor, poor IQ on both ends, doesn’t make hustle plays and can disappear for stretches of games. He doesn’t box out often and he will sell himself out of position for blocks. He is disengaged off the ball and relies too heavily on his athleticism to recover and make plays as a help defender.

Williams is currently limited to a role as a rim-runner and dive man offensively. He has awful jump shooting numbers and it’s possible that he won’t ever become a threat from the mid-range. This season he took 37 jump shots and scored .432 ppp, shooting 21.6%. He is a very poor free throw shooter. When he gets the ball in the post he doesn’t look smooth and can make bad mistakes when he faces ball pressure. Overall, his offensive game is limited and heavily reliant on his athleticism to get lobs and put-backs.

Summary

Williams is a spectacular athlete with great size and length making for a prototypical center prospect in the age of switching, rim running and rim protection. He has shown the ability to make passes on the move and face up in the post, which would make him a dynamic threat offensively. Defensively, his incredibly agile feet make him a versatile switching weapon. However, he is held back by concerns around his motor and effort as well as horrible shooting and a poorly developed skill package. It is fair to wonder whether his lineup situation at Texas A&M hindered him with poor spacing to the point of making these concerns less impactful. It is also fair to wonder whether he will develop enough to eclipse the role of a situational big man to become a starter. He has a wide range of outcomes from Bismack Biyombo to Clint Capela, and where he lands will likely depend on how much he relies on his athleticism to carry him at the next level.