billyshelby
Well-Known Member
I seriously wonder how much better Williams will be than Sap.
Somebody explain Derrick Williams love to a Jazz Fan
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Just an opinion but I think he will be a fringe all-star. Williams is just that much more athletic, imo, to be that Paul Pierce-esque 3. Millsap has just recently developed that range that Williams already has, his biggest thing to work on will be fighting through screens on D and using them on O.
billyshelby
Well-Known Member
Well if Williams is a fringe All Star, then he's basically Sap, maybe a little better. Which doesn't get me very excited, at least at the 2. He's far more interesting if he can produce Sap's stats at the 3, but I'd only draft him high if I really thought he could do that. I'm not so sure he can.
Millsap isn't anything close to a fringe all-star. He is a good starter who should be a 6th man to utilize his strengths.
billyshelby
Well-Known Member
What's your definition of fringe? They compare Williams to West. West is a fringe all star every year. West and Sap are pretty close to the same player. In PER, Sap was under Garnett and West, over Odom, Bosh, and Smith. That's my exact definition of fringe all star.
Sap played like a fringe all-star the start of the year, but he quickly flamed out. So I see what you are saying, but he lacks the durability of performing like that for an entire year. The David West comparissons to Williams are based purely off him being an undersized 4 who can shoot. Athletically he is leagues ahead of West. He is more of a Beasley if anything.
billyshelby
Well-Known Member
And you'd redraft Beasley at 2? The point is if Williams is putting up Sap numbers as a 3 in the NBA, he's absolutely worth the 2. If he's doing that as a 4, he isn't. And it's kind of weird you'd draft anybody at the 2 not sure if he can play the one position you need him to be good at.
How people see Millsap as just a starter is mystifying to me. Dude can flat out play and was the most consistent and toughest player on the team, in addition to being the 2nd most productive. Holy ****.
Billy, I share the concern. I think Williams can be more of 3 and his ability to put the ball on the floor is a significant difference.
Billy, I share the concern. I think Williams can be more of 3 and his ability to put the ball on the floor is a significant difference.
Beasley but smart and not a walking piece of dung? In this draft? Yes.
I see you own a time machine, or at the very least a crystal ball. Saying how you'd re-draft after the fact and how you'd draft in the future are far different things. Of course you wouldn't take Beasley at 2 in a re-draft, but who would YOU take at the 3 in THIS draft with what you know today?
There is no machine you can put these kids into that spits out, for certain, who and what they will be. To be honest NBA GM's really do just a little more than we do and thats guess. I'm of the opinion, based off the games (5 total) and highlight videos that I've watched, that Williams can be an affective 3 in the league. I also think he can be a 17-20pt 6-8board 2-3ast guy a night, again at the 3.......thats fringe all-star in my book.
If the Jazz can get Derrick Williams at #3, they'd better take it and run.
billyshelby
Well-Known Member
You're making my point. IF a team thinks he's going to put up numbers like that AT THE 3, he's great value. If he can only put those numbers up at the 4, he isn't. My problem is I don't want to be guessing or projecting a guy's NBA position in the top 5. 2 or 3, 4 or 5 is fine. But not 3 or 4.
He is physically Beasley (but actually stronger), and mentally is a winner and humble. He doesn't think he is above his teammates. Not to mention he wasn't even a top 100 ranked HS player coming into college. He has worked hard for his success and will continue to improve.
An important difference between D. Williams and Beasley is that Beasley's 1st option is his jumper. Beasley's second option is jab step and jumper. And then he might decide to drive. Williams shoots his jumper only when needed to keep the defense honest. He is looking to drive and draw fouls as options 1 and 2.
billyshelby
Well-Known Member
This is Chad Ford's pre-draft assessment of Beasley: "Great athlete with long arms. Deep, deep range on his jump shot. Excellent hands. Amazing rebounder. Will score on you inside and out. Uses power in the post combined with excellent leaping ability. Has an excellent jump shot with NBA 3-point range. Has the versatility to play both the 3 and the 4 on virtually every team in the league."
Sounds a lot like Williams to me. Moral of the story: Playing 4 in college, and then transitioning to the 3 in the NBA isn't so easy.
billyshelby
Well-Known Member
I never said I don't want Williams. I only said I have doubts he can transition to the 3. And I don't like having to hope the 2nd pick in the draft can play the only position worth drafting him at. The crazy thing is Beasley absolutely dwarfed Williams stats with the same frame playing the same position and has better athleticism. Yeah, he's got a seriously questionable head, but most super talented players from college translate so long as they play their same position. Cousins is a case in point. I'm having a very hard time seeing Williams being better than Beasley.
I don't know that I would concede that Beasley is a better athlete, I guess athletic measurements at the combine will tell us that.
That said, if Beasley didn't have the "mental" issues it could easily be argued he'd be an even better player. Dude has all the tools but about 30% of the mental capacity of even an average, competitive NBA player. He's like Lennie from Of Mice And Men.
That said, if Beasley didn't have the "mental" issues it could easily be argued he'd be an even better player. Dude has all the tools but about 30% of the mental capacity of even an average, competitive NBA player. He's like Lennie from Of Mice And Men.