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Atlanta Hawks Draft Preview: Trevion Williams

Williams is an intriguing prospect.

Olivier Dumont

Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

With the 2022 NBA Draft quickly approaching, we continue our series of scouting reports. Today the focus remains on possible second round selections with former Purdue Boilermaker Trevion Williams.

Vitals

Trevion Williams participates during the NBA Draft Combine at Wintrust Arena.
David Banks-USA TODAY Sports

Trevion Williams

Position: Power Forward

Height: 6’10”

Weight: 260

Age: 21

Class: Senior

School: Purdue

Why Williams

Purdue Boilermakers' Trevion Williams (50) answers questions during practice before the first round of the 2022 NCAA Tournament at Fiserv Forum.
Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

At the conclusion of the 2020-21 season, the Atlanta Hawks were Top 5 in rebounding (45.6) and were tied in third in offensive rebounding (10.6). Last season, on the other hand, the Hawks were 20th in rebounding (44.0) and 17th in offensive rebounding (10.0). Although the differences might look marginal, they aren’t on the grand scale because of the Hawks inability to sustain a higher rebound output game after game.

This is why it wouldn’t hurt to draft Trevion Williams at 44th overall, a superb interior presence on both sides of the ball that just so happens to be an excellent rebounder as well. If there’s one current NBA player that comes to mind when seeing Williams play, it’s none other than Miami Heat Center Bam Adebayo, possessing the same tenacity and physicality inside, as well as this balanced ability to pass and dribble the ball impressively well for his size and frame.

Though the Hawks have a nice one-two punch with Clint Capela and John Collins, adding another depth piece that could work really well with Trae Young in the pick and roll as well as crash the glass wouldn’t hurt. And Williams would provide just that. 

Offense

Purdue Boilermakers forward Trevion Williams (50) drives to the basket against the Yale Bulldogs during the second half in the first round of the 2022 NCAA Tournament at Fiserv Forum.
Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

Offensively, Williams is quite a force to have and brings a versatile set of skills to the table. He not only scores the ball very well in and around the paint while crashing the glass with authority. But Williams also runs the floor with great pace, brings an intimidating interior defense, and an evolving, sharp touch and sense of awareness with his passing.

Over his four seasons with the Boilermakers, Williams grew into his potential and embraced every minute he got on the floor. After illustrating a promising showing in 22 starts over his sophomore year, Williams had himself a big breakout season as a junior, hitting a handful of career highs in the process. In 28 games (26 starts) on 25.1 minutes per game, Williams scored 15.5 points on 52.5% shooting from the field, tallied 9.1 rebounds and 2.3 assists. Because of his performance, Williams was named to the All-Big Ten First Team and even declared for the draft following the end of the season.

Despite such, Williams chose to withdraw from the draft last minute and return to Purdue for one more season. What was fascinating about this decision at the time is that Williams was going to have to produce a similar season, if not a better one than his junior year with Purdue, something that looked awfully daunting even for a player of his caliber.

Although Williams didn’t surpass or match those junior year numbers, he was still able to generate a special senior campaign, scoring 12.0 points per game on 54.7% shooting from the field (a career-high) while tallying 7.4 rebounds and 3.0 assists as well (also a career-high). Mind you, Williams did this all predominantly off the bench, playing 37 games but only starting in four of them, and did so with 20.1 minutes per game. This led Williams to receive the Big Ten Sixth Man of the Year Award and a spot on the All-Big Ten Third Team as well. This kid is the real deal, and the Hawks should consider selecting him in the second round.

Defense

Purdue Boilermakers forward Trevion Williams (50) and Michigan State Spartans forward Marcus Bingham Jr. (30) fight for a rebound in the first half at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports

On the defensive front, Williams provides the durable, physical big-man presence inside that is always beneficial to have, possessing the strength and size to take on just about any power forward or center in the paint. That said, he doesn’t have much leaping ability, which limits him to being mainly a below-the-rim defender. However, Williams does compensate for his lack of bounce with his skill and effort, bringing an unusual quickness for such a big player that led him to average 1.7 steals per 36 mins last season.

To add to it, Williams does a great job limiting space and breathing room when he matches up with his opponents, using his high basketball IQ to anticipate where he needs to position himself to succeed. Though he’s a bit undersized to guard centers, Williams brings an astute sense of awareness that allows him to make the right reads and plays to grant him the best chance to thwart his opponents’ scoring opportunities.

His athleticism and shot-blocking are still a work in progress. But Williams checks off a lot of important boxes that would make him a solid bet defensively for the Hawks.

Upside

Trevion Williams preview for 2022 NBA Draft.
© Grace Hollars/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK

What makes Williams a worthwhile investment, is his potential to become an elite two-way role player in the NBA, whether off the bench or as a starter. Not only has he expanded his range of skills he offers on both ends of the floor, but he’s continuously refined his strengths as well, leading him to have two remarkable back-to-back seasons at Purdue.

In addition, Williams logged in four years of college basketball experience and is still only 21 years old. With so many good years left in him, Williams also granted himself the opportunity to build a strong foundation for his talent to really take off when he enters the NBA. Seeing how he was able to thrive with just 25.1 minutes per game as a full-time starter during his junior season and just 20.1 minutes last season, one can only imagine the ceiling Williams has to become a premier interior threat in the NBA.

Downside

Marc Lebryk-USA TODAY Sports

The one mind-boggling part about Williams’ game defensively is that he has yet to really develop much of an influence with his shot-blocking. Since he doesn’t have the bounce and leaping skills to play above the rim, Williams has struggled to exert his influence on that front throughout his four years in college, averaging just 0.5 blocks per game over that time frame. Considering that’s kind of an important trait to have for someone with his size and frame, teams could veer away from selecting him as a result.

Lastly, Williams doesn’t have the best motor, often fluctuating the amount of effort and energy he applies when he’s on the floor. Consistency is so important if players are looking to become great in this league, and the lack of drive Williams has displayed has been a bit off-putting, to say the least.

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Published
Olivier Dumont
OLIVIER DUMONT

Olivier Dumont is a graduate of SUNY Rockland Community College, where he was the Sports Editor of the Outlook. After obtaining his Associate of Liberal Arts degree, he transferred to both Hunter and Baruch Colleges as part of the CUNY Baccalaureate Program for Unique and Interdisciplinary Studies. He graduated with a BA degree with a concentration in Sports Journalism.

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