The Miami Heat have the 20th pick in the NBA Draft. They don’t have to look far for a guy that has upside and already fits what they do.
With the 20th pick in the NBA Draft, the Miami Heat have some options. Whether or not they decide to draft a player or use that pick in a trade, they have a few routes of going to get the most out of it.
But, if Miami stands pat (as in Pat Riley… cue rimshot), they should take a look at Patrick Williams from Florida State. He fits the mold that Miami looks for in a player, you know… he fits the Miami Heat Culture.
Let’s look at a few details on the forward from his season at Florida State.
Age: 18
Wingspan: 6’11”
Height: 6’8”
Weight: 225
Points per game: 9.2
Assists per game: 1.0
3pt%: 32.0
FG: 45.9
FT: 83.8
Strengths:
Williams is the type of player that can fit onto any team because he has the potential to be a two-way player and in today’s NBA, you need those types of players on your team. Williams is a tough player, especially at the defensive end.
He is a good shot-blocker in the half-court and has some impressive chase-down blocks as well. Williams has a knack for being a good team defender and at his age, that’s definitely a plus.
Some veterans in the NBA still don’t know what team defense is, so again, that’s huge. Another trait that Williams has is that he is a very good offensive rebounder, a lost art in today’s NBA game.
Williams averages 3.30 offensive boards per contest. He can also use both hands around the rim.
Williams is a good playmaker for his size and has a decent handle, so he can even create a little bit at times. The thing that I noticed about his game is that from three, he doesn’t jump high on his shot, which reminds me of P.J Tucker.
The Miami Heat may take a guy in this coming NBA Draft, or they may not. If they do though, Patrick Williams wouldn’t be a bad look.
Like Tucker, Williams will mostly shoot corner threes. But when he is creating off the dribble, his mid-range jumper has lift and even has some hang time when he shoots.
Williams is just a solid player who can go in the game and do all the little things for your team. He’s also a good free-throw shooter as well.
Struggles:
The things Williams struggles with can be fixed and those are good things. Williams has a slow-release on his shot but his form is not terrible so whoever drafts Williams, their shooting coach will have to work with him to tighten up the screws.
Williams is a bit of a weird player in the sense that he is athletic but has slow feet when guarding. So, if you can get him moving side to side, then you have a good chance of beating him off of the dribble.
Williams will need to use the ladder drill to get those feet moving. Again though, that can be developed and especially with the Miami Heat.
Conclusion:
Williams has the tools to be a really good player who can fit into any system and at his size he can play both forwards and potentially even a bit of small ball 5. Basically, he looks to be a bigger version of P.J Tucker, with more offensive potential.
Who wouldn’t want that type of player on their team? Seriously?
Like the rest of 2020, this will be a weird draft so expect some pretty random things to happen, which again, is so 2020. The only thing I will say about this draft is that its very deep with role players.
Every team could use a few of the quality variety of those, right? I expect Miami to take a look at Williams, he fits the culture.