Tuesday, June 2nd, 2009 at 8:01 am  |  41 responses

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SLAMonline Mock Draft: Terrence Williams, No. 12

The ‘Cats get themselves an all-purpose player.

by Joey Whelan

With the 12th pick in the 2009 SLAMonline Mock Draft, the Charlotte Bobcats select…

Terrence Williams. OK, this one probably comes as a surprise to many given that Jrue Holiday and Williams’ college teammate Earl Clark are still on the board, but let’s check out some of the facts. Charlotte does not need another point guard, period. Often times the rule of thumb in the NBA is to take the best available talent and that very well could be Holiday in this case, but with Raymond Felton and D.J. Augustin already under contract and both under the age of 25, there just isn’t much sense in making that pick.

Clark likely ranks in the top three in this draft in terms of upside, trailing only Blake Griffin and Demar DeRozan. With that said, he also has potential bust written on him given his tendency to be inconsistent and show a lack of effort in the college ranks. Yes, the 6-10 frame and 7-2 wingspan on a guy capable of playing the small forward position are enough to make even the most conservative GM rethink his drafting plans, but at the end of the day, TWill just works best here.

The ‘Cats need shooting guard to accompany Raja Bell, likely even replace him. What Williams brings though is the ability to play multiple positions. In terms of overall versatility, there may not be a better backcourt player in this draft. TWill can line up at the 1, 2 or 3 at the next level thanks to his 6-6 frame and 6-9 wingspan. While at Louisville he played a position that has been dubbed the point forward and dolled out five dimes a night running a high powered offense. It isn’t to say that Williams is going to be running the show in Charlotte, but it will certainly not hurt to have mutiple playmakers on the floor at one time.

Williams isn’t going to blow anyone away with his scoring ability, at least not at this point. His shooting has improved marginally during his career, but still isn’t a major threat to light things up from the outside. Perhaps even more bizarre is how much TWill struggles finishing in the lane as a bigger, more athletic guard. To be fair though, Williams did his damage on a low number of possessions. According to DraftExpress, TWill touched the ball just over 14 times per game which ranked him dead last amongst the top 10 shooting guard prospects in their database. On a team where he will most certainly not be a go to scoring option, this is a plus TWill that he can score in some situations without getting a lot of touches. Another plus: He was most effective scoring the basketball in the pick and roll setting, a staple of the League.

Where the former Louisville guard is really going to make his impact though is on the defensive end. His size, wingspan and overall quickness allow him to guard multiple positions with consistent effectiveness. He has quick hands and very good defensive instincts, characteristics that allowed him to swipe the ball better than 2 times per game, but here’s the real bonus for Charlotte by making this pick: rebounding.

The Bobcats ranked 27th in the League this season in rebounds per game and somehow managed a +.8 margin against opponents. Luckily for them TWill rebounds the ball at an absolutely absurd rate for a perimeter player. His 10 rebounds per 40 minutes last season ranked him miles ahead of any other shooting guards being pegged as first round picks, and even more impressive was that average was nearly identical to that of Earl Clark. If there’s one statistic that has proven to be a constant from college to the NBA, it’s rebounding. If Williams was able to haul in that many boards as a guard in the Big East, it’s a safe bet that he will be able to do the same in the NBA.

TWill isn’t going to be the guy to light up the scoreboard every night and he isn’t going to be the guy to dish out 15 dimes. He’s going to be the guy that fills in the holes wherever they spring up. If Augustin and Wallace are on the floor, he lines up at the off-guard spot and plays solid defense. If Bell is in, TWill can shift to the 3 and bring help on the glass from the perimeter. Williams is likely the closest thing that a scout will find to a utility infielder in this draft and is a guy who can impact the game without dominating the basketball. Also lets not forget what happened last year with a super athletic guard who had question marks about his scoring ability but excelled on the defensive end and was a pretty good playmaker; Russell Westbrook anyone?