What the experts say
ESPN [$] (Jonathan Givony): 19th
The Athletic [$] (Sam Vecenie): 17th
Sports Illustrated (Jeremy Woo): 17th
Sporting News (Chris Stone): 18th
Bleacher Report (Jonathan Wassermann): 19th
The Ringer (Kevin O’Connor): 17th
Quotes:
Having placed him 17th on his most recent Big Board, Woo centered on the progress Williams made as the year went along, but cautioned teams outside of the lottery in terms of just how much he has left at this stage in his development:
"“Williams brings a lot to the table for teams to work with, as a big, legitimately versatile forward who can guard three positions and is slated to be one of the youngest draft-eligible players if he turns pro. He’s seen his role steadily increase this season, and his quiet offensive contributions have been valuable in addition to all he brings defensively. Williams has real potential to be a solid outside shooter, does a great job staying active defensively and making small plays, and is really just starting to put all the pieces together. In time, he could be a strong lineup cog on a winning team, although it might require some patience. The value of his youth can’t be understated here given where he’s at developmentally, and the situational optics could push him to the fringes of the lottery with a strong predraft process. He’s the type of flier teams should feel comfortable prioritizing in this range, but has a ways to go.”"
Noting the similar skill set to that of his Florida State teammate, Devin Vassell, SB Nation’s Ricky O’Donnell outlined Williams’ defensive greatness and promising offensive role as assets to an NBA team at the next level:
"“Like his teammate Vassell, Williams is yet another 3-and-D prospect for Florida State. At 6’8, 225 pounds with a 6’11 wingspan, the freshman has nice size for a combo forward. He’s a strong team defender who has put up big defensive playmaking numbers — 5.6 percent block rate and 2.6 percent steal rate — all year. He can slide into a complementary role on offense as a floor spacer who takes open threes (32 percent from deep) and can attack a closeout.”"