Who will the Memphis Grizzlies pick at No. 29 in the NBA Draft?
Jaylin Williams, Arkansas
Age: 20
Height: 6’10”
Weight: 240 lbs
Position: F/C
Jaylin Williams, the big man out of Arkansas, showed incredible improvement throughout the 2021-22 season. He turned into a double-double machine, unlocked a sweet passing game and became known for his ability take charges.
The 6’10” 240 pound Fort Smith, Ark. native drew 54 charges in 37 games— an unreal pace that he cannot sustain in the NBA (if he wants his body to hold up more than a few seasons). At that pace, his numbers would equate to somewhere around 118 charges taken in the NBA.
The NBA leader in charges drawn during the regular season this year was Blake Griffin and Kevin Love, who drew 26 charges each.
So, Williams can’t take charges at a crazy rate, but come playoff time, that may be something that could become invaluable in games usually decided by a possession or two.
Williams averaged 10.9 PPG, 9.8 RPG, 2.6 APG, 1.1 BPG, and 1.3 SPG for the Razorbacks during the 2021-22 season.
He would be a perfect backup to Steven Adams or an eventual replacement. You wouldn’t lose the passing ability or rebounding and you get a little more scoring with Williams.
His biggest weakness is his three-point shot, which he shot only occasionally in college, but will need to work on to make him more valuable as a two-way player. He was 17-71 from beyond the arc last season at Arkansas (23.9 3P%).