Are the Washington Wizards Done Adding Players?
By Osman Baig
Derrick Williams
The 2nd overall pick in the ‘11 draft is more known as being a draft bust then what he has done on the NBA court (or does that count for what he has done on the court?). That doesn’t necessarily mean he can’t add a skillset to the Washington Wizards. That skillset in particular is 3-point shooting at the 4 position, an area where Washington is thin behind starter Markieff Morris who shot a career high 36.2% last season. How can a career 30% 3-point shooter add 3-point shooting you ask?
Derrick Williams has made the rounds in his 6 seasons in the league, playing for five teams to date. His most successful stop was in New York for the ’15-’16 season where in 80 games played and nine starts, Derrick averaged 9.3 ppg on 45% shooting from the field in 17.9 minutes per game.
He didn’t however, shoot the 3-point shot well that season which has been a disappointment for Derrick who flashed an improved 3-point game in his second year as a pro (increasing his percentage from behind the arc to 33.2% from 26.8% in his rookie season). That 3-point shot returned in his stint (albeit brief) with Cleveland at the end of the ‘16-’17 season as Derrick shot 40.4% on 2.1 attempts per game in 25 games for the Cavaliers.
While the Wizards don’t have LeBron James to get Derrick Williams open looks, they do have John Wall who always seems to get career 3-point shooting seasons from whomever you surround him with. There are few players who can collapse a defense in the league like John Wall and Derrick Williams has the shooting potential (this is a projection) and athleticism to possibly find his niche as a role player playing alongside #2 instead of trying to live up to the expectations of being the #2 overall pick.