Grant Williams-Tennesee-Forward
One of the first things you think about if you have seen Grant Williams play is “bruiser”. With a low center of gravity for a basketball player and visibly all the physical strength you could ask for in a player on the block, Williams is a load to handle in the paint.
Unfortunately for Williams however, the second thing you think about if you’ve seen him play is that he is undersized for the next level. This shouldn’t be a big thing to Williams though as his apparent work ethic and motor should propel him to success, if not stardom.
These are the features that make him the typical Miami Heat type of player. He has probably been told for a long time that he was “too small”, but that apparently hasn’t stopped him. It didn’t stop him from being one of the best players in college basketball last season and the best player in the SEC, which is indicative by his second consecutive SEC Player of the Year award from this past season.
Williams is described as a “capable” jump shooter, but he can definitely rebound, score, and make an impact in other ways. On last year with the Volunteers, Williams averaged 18.8 points, 7.5 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.1 steals, and 1.5 blocks. Versatility is the word when it comes to describing Williams, as he has a similar collegiate build and profile as Draymond Green coming out of Michigan State.
With Williams’ heart, versatility, and motor, he would fit right into what it is that the Miami Heat like to do and see from their players. As indicated by his years in college, Williams is willing and capable to put in the work and get better from year to year. To go back to the Heat’s ability to whip players into the best shape of their lives, Miami would do wonders for Williams and his body, while helping him to maximize his potential and effectiveness in all the areas that he alredy excels in.
While Williams is projected as a late first round to early second round selection in this year’s draft, it isn’t impossible to see him land with the Miami Heat. While the Miami Heat do sit at 13, they have moved about his draft process in a fashion that could indicate that they have a desire to trade back. A move such as this could put Williams firmly in the crosshairs of the Miami Heat.
While these are all prospects that fit the Heat, from a basketball makeup and profile standpoint, there are a ton of different directions that they could choose to go in. One thing is for certain, if they ever chose to go in either of these directions, they would be getting a player that should fit right in.