Jordan Williams

Pick 36: New Jersey plumps for some size as they pick Jordan Williams from Maryland. This is about 10 to 15 spots higher than Williams may have been expected to go, but in this particular second round, you can pretty much do what you like. Williams has enough rebounding and offense to churn out a few years, even with his physical disadvantages. To be honest, one year would do.

Jay Bilas compares Williams to Michael Sweetney. I assume he meant Omar Samhan. The two are often confused for each other.

Since 2004, the New Jersey Nets have played host to all of Shawne, Jordan, Sean, Aaron, Eric, Terrence, Deron and Marcus E. Williams. It may by the second round, but bugger me if we ain't still cramming in the hard hitting in-depth analysis for which this aptly sloganed site is known.

Jeff Van Gundy asks why players only get in shape after their final collegiate season. He knows the answer, but no one dares say it.

Jordan Williams - Williams was second in the NCAA in defensive rebounding percentage last season, ranking behind only Kenneth Faried and Kawhi Leonard amongst realistic draft candidates. (Well, unless you count Luke Sikma.) At 6'9/6'10 ish and roughly 250, Williams is rather caught between positions - he got into much better shape in his sophomore season, losing much excess weight and showing up rather trim, yet this also meant he no longer had NBA centre size. It didn't stop him from being one of the best collegiate rebounders, and rebounding normally translates, but the size advantage will become a size disadvantage. Williams also showed up with a sporadic jumpshot as a sophomore, after not having one at all as a freshman, but the same physical profile problems apply - Williams is simply not athletic, which is a problem on both ends when you're not quite big enough. He's a banger who will fight for the boards, work hard defensively, blocks a few shots, can occasionally post up, finishes, and is generally rather high IQ. But losing all the weight didn't make him any faster.

Nevertheless, he's not a whole lot less athletic than his namesake Aaron Williams - at least, not during Aaron's latter years. And even in the athleticism-based NBA, rebounds are rebounds.