NBA Draft Board: Duke’s Mark Williams

Ahead of the 2022 NBA Draft, we’re breaking down 15 of the best prospects in the class.

In the 2022 NBA Draft, the Oklahoma City Thunder own two selections in the lottery. One of the prospects who could fall in that range is Mark Williams who most recently played at Duke.

Profile:

In terms of premier talent, the biggest prospect in this class is Williams. With a 9-foot-9 standing reach and 7-foot-7 wingspan, the physical tools to be a dominant defensive center are there for the 20-year-old.

Strengths:

Williams is perhaps the best rim protector in this class and should make an immediate impact defensively. He plays disciplined on that end of the floor and plays great team defense as well.

When Williams does shoot, he's extremely efficient. As a lob threat and with a back to the basket presence, he isn't a volume scorer but is reliable when he does get the rock near the rim.

Weaknesses: 

With any center in the modern NBA, the question is always whether they're worth a lottery pick. With how important floor spacing is, smaller versatile bigs have become much more valuable. 

To this point in his career, Williams is limited on the perimeter. He lacks the lateral quickness to defend guards outside of the paint and hasn't proven to be a 3-point shooter.

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