2021 NBA Draft: 3 Forwards the Washington Wizards could draft at #15
By Jamal Bedell
No. 3 – Ziaire Williams
If Washington chooses to go with Ziaire Williams on Thursday, then they’d be betting on his upside at the next level. Williams didn’t stuff the stat sheet in his lone collegiate season at Stanford. He only averaged 10.7 PPG, 4.6 RPG, and 0.6 BPG in 27.9 mins per game. However, there’s still a lot to like about his game. At 6’9″, 188 lbs, Ziaire is a very fluid athlete that moves his feet well on both sides of the ball. He has an excellent handle and a good pull-up game from mid-range.
Even though he didn’t shoot a high percentage at Stanford (37 percent from the field overall and 29 percent from beyond the arc), his mechanics are already pretty good. He just has to continue to put in the reps, and I’m sure his consistency will improve over time. The adjustment to the NBA can be difficult for many young players, so Williams will need to bulk up quickly to help make the transition easier. He weighed in at less than 200 lbs at the NBA Draft Combine. While at Stanford, he would often get knocked off his driving lane or struggle to finish through contact because of his thin frame.
That’s not a great sign because now he’ll be going against grown men for a full 82-game season. Williams needs to add more muscle and improve his strength because it’ll help him finish better at the next level, which means his shooting percentages are bound to rise as well. Time will tell if he can make that jump, but it’s not often that you find a player with his blend of size and skill. His 6’10” wingspan and elite athleticism are just a few intangibles that make him such a tantalizing prospect.
If the Wizards decided to take Ziaire Williams at pick #15, then he’d become the third player in a long time to be drafted in the early or mid 1st round out of Stanford. The last time that happened was in 2008 when Brook and Robin Lopez were drafted 10 and 15, respectively. After being ranked as the 8th best player coming out of high school, Washington has to ensure his freshman year at Stanford was an aberration, and they can unlock his true potential. But the real question is: Will the Wizards have the patience for him to reach his ceiling? We’ll just have to wait and see.