Brad Stevens details the type of player Grant Williams is

[Evantime34]

Williams might not be an all-star, but he's going to be a veteran who lasts a long time in the league. I could see him play 20 minutes a night his rookie year.

His length is not good, but if he was the same player with plus length he wouldn't have been available to the Celtics, even at 14.

What he lacks in length he's going to make up for in strength, positioning, intelligence and effort. With the lack of effort and consistency last year people are going to immediately fall in love with this guy.

[Pvictor11]

I watched some videos of him and David West's game and style of play came to mind. We don't get a lot of NCAA here in Brazil, so I didn't watch any of his games. Is David West an accurate comparison?

[droopdog7]

couple of things it is getting tiring having the media gosh over any of these kids that can speak perfect English as intelligent smart etc etc. That may very well be true of Williams, his mama is a rocket scientist so I am sure there is a premium on education in his upbringing. Can we just leave this at he is well educated?

Also, basketball is not about being well educated. Danny wants to win, you better get some ballers on the team. Keep drafting for articulate and education instead of basketball skills and you will be like Butler.

He passed on Harvard and Yale.  He IS smart kid.  That’s not a bad thing.  And while smart off the court doesn’t necessarily equal high basketball IQ, indications are that Williams is actually both. 

[Ilikesports17]

couple of things it is getting tiring having the media gosh over any of these kids that can speak perfect English as intelligent smart etc etc. That may very well be true of Williams, his mama is a rocket scientist so I am sure there is a premium on education in his upbringing. Can we just leave this at he is well educated?

Also, basketball is not about being well educated. Danny wants to win, you better get some ballers on the team. Keep drafting for articulate and education instead of basketball skills and you will be like Butler.

He passed on Harvard and Yale.  He IS smart kid.  That’s not a bad thing.  And while smart off the court doesn’t necessarily equal high basketball IQ, indications are that Williams is actually both.

You don’t have to be a genius to get into Harvard or Yale for basketball

The kid is smart tho. No doubt.

[td450]

If they don't bring back Morris, which is likely, this kid could play a lot. I hope he gets really fit and drops a few pounds, but he looks good to me. If he's a hard worker, he's going to be a steal.

[Boris Badenov]

Williams might not be an all-star, but he's going to be a veteran who lasts a long time in the league. I could see him play 20 minutes a night his rookie year.

His length is not good, but if he was the same player with plus length he wouldn't have been available to the Celtics, even at 14.

What he lacks in length he's going to make up for in strength, positioning, intelligence and effort. With the lack of effort and consistency last year people are going to immediately fall in love with this guy.

He seems to be one of those guys who is around the ball a lot, on offense and defense. Good instincts for deflections, put-backs, etc.

Reminds me a little of Ryan Gomes in that way, but more of a PF than a SF.

[PhoSita]

couple of things it is getting tiring having the media gosh over any of these kids that can speak perfect English as intelligent smart etc etc. That may very well be true of Williams, his mama is a rocket scientist so I am sure there is a premium on education in his upbringing. Can we just leave this at he is well educated?

Also, basketball is not about being well educated. Danny wants to win, you better get some ballers on the team. Keep drafting for articulate and education instead of basketball skills and you will be like Butler.

Basketball requires a lot of quick decision-making and two-to-three-steps-ahead planning.  Lots of things happen on the floor in a matter of seconds.


Unless you just want guys who have one or two simple tasks and nothing else (e.g. Javale McGee types), you need guys who can make quick, smart decisions.


That said, I agree that there's too much emphasis in draft coverage placed on how well spoken or educated the players seem.  You can be super well read and articulate and still not be any good at making quick decisions or seeing the floor.

[footey]

couple of things it is getting tiring having the media gosh over any of these kids that can speak perfect English as intelligent smart etc etc. That may very well be true of Williams, his mama is a rocket scientist so I am sure there is a premium on education in his upbringing. Can we just leave this at he is well educated?

Also, basketball is not about being well educated. Danny wants to win, you better get some ballers on the team. Keep drafting for articulate and education instead of basketball skills and you will be like Butler.

He passed on Harvard and Yale.  He IS smart kid.  That’s not a bad thing.  And while smart off the court doesn’t necessarily equal high basketball IQ, indications are that Williams is actually both.

You don’t have to be a genius to get into Harvard or Yale for basketball

The kid is smart tho. No doubt.

The academic admission standards for Ivy League athletes is tougher than other academically recognized schools such as Duke, Georgetown or Notre Dame.

[nickagneta]

I like when they mention the intelligence of players at the draft. Very few really intelligent players at the draft translate to players that do not use that intelligence in their game. And, even if their intelligence doesn't translate to their game, it's great to know the NBA isn't made up of just dumb jocks that took basket weaving classes in their one semester of college and then moved on to the NBA to "ball".

And who knows, because they are so intelligent, maybe players like Brown and Grant Williams become important members of the NBPA and change the CBA to make the NBA a better place to play. Brown is already, at 22, an Executive VP. He could be a future President of that union that leads negotiations on the next collective bargaining agreement that perhaps starts taking power out of the hands of agents or gets the players a better money deal or something else important.

The entire association and game will profit from having much more intelligence in the players that play the game. Keep telling me how smart these kids are. I think it's important for people to know they are intelligent people so when they decide to stand up for issues outside the game, they are taken seriously and not told to "Just shut up and dribble!".

[dreamgreen]

Hope one of the types he mentioned if he's being honest is SHORT for a PF. Hope I'm wrong about this kid but so far in a league that is going long, fast and athletic I don't see him more than a bench guy.

[bellerephon]

Hope one of the types he mentioned if he's being honest is SHORT for a PF. Hope I'm wrong about this kid but so far in a league that is going long, fast and athletic I don't see him more than a bench guy.

That's a fair point, but late in a weak draft can we really expect much more than that? Solid bench guy would be good value for where he was picked.

[nickagneta]

couple of things it is getting tiring having the media gosh over any of these kids that can speak perfect English as intelligent smart etc etc. That may very well be true of Williams, his mama is a rocket scientist so I am sure there is a premium on education in his upbringing. Can we just leave this at he is well educated?

Also, basketball is not about being well educated. Danny wants to win, you better get some ballers on the team. Keep drafting for articulate and education instead of basketball skills and you will be like Butler.

He passed on Harvard and Yale.  He IS smart kid.  That’s not a bad thing.  And while smart off the court doesn’t necessarily equal high basketball IQ, indications are that Williams is actually both.

You don’t have to be a genius to get into Harvard or Yale for basketball

The kid is smart tho. No doubt.

The academic admission standards for Ivy League athletes is tougher than other academically recognized schools such as Duke, Georgetown or Notre Dame.

There are no athletic scholarships to play for Ivy League schools. You have to be admitted into the school based on your academics. Almost all other Division 1 schools will allow their admissions standards to be lowered for athletes on scholarships. Some don't but the vast majority do.

[bellerephon]

couple of things it is getting tiring having the media gosh over any of these kids that can speak perfect English as intelligent smart etc etc. That may very well be true of Williams, his mama is a rocket scientist so I am sure there is a premium on education in his upbringing. Can we just leave this at he is well educated?

Also, basketball is not about being well educated. Danny wants to win, you better get some ballers on the team. Keep drafting for articulate and education instead of basketball skills and you will be like Butler.

He passed on Harvard and Yale.  He IS smart kid.  That’s not a bad thing.  And while smart off the court doesn’t necessarily equal high basketball IQ, indications are that Williams is actually both.

You don’t have to be a genius to get into Harvard or Yale for basketball

The kid is smart tho. No doubt.

The academic admission standards for Ivy League athletes is tougher than other academically recognized schools such as Duke, Georgetown or Notre Dame.

There are no athletic scholarships to play for Ivy League schools. You have to be admitted into the school based on your academics. Almost all other Division 1 schools will allow their admissions standards to be lowered for athletes on scholarships. Some don't but the vast majority do.

It's true that Ivy league schools don't offer athletic scholarships...officially. It is also true that Ivy league schools have lots of funding options and as a matter of course find money to cover the tuition of their student athletes. It is not labeled as an athletic scholarship, but the tuition is covered. It is also true that student athletes at Ivy league schools are not held to the same standard academically as the rest of the student body when it comes to admission. This is not a guess on my part, I work in education and have worked at an Ivy league university and with high school seniors, including athletes. Athletes get admitted to Ivy league schools with academic records far less impressive than regular students, and this is for sports like crew, squash, and sailing, it is even more true for big time  sports like football and basketball.

[dreamgreen]

Hope one of the types he mentioned if he's being honest is SHORT for a PF. Hope I'm wrong about this kid but so far in a league that is going long, fast and athletic I don't see him more than a bench guy.

That's a fair point, but late in a weak draft can we really expect much more than that? Solid bench guy would be good value for where he was picked.

I'll be stoked if he can become a rotation player in the future but I see Yabu 2.0 lol. But yes any pick that late is a hope and pray for the best.

[nickagneta]

couple of things it is getting tiring having the media gosh over any of these kids that can speak perfect English as intelligent smart etc etc. That may very well be true of Williams, his mama is a rocket scientist so I am sure there is a premium on education in his upbringing. Can we just leave this at he is well educated?

Also, basketball is not about being well educated. Danny wants to win, you better get some ballers on the team. Keep drafting for articulate and education instead of basketball skills and you will be like Butler.

He passed on Harvard and Yale.  He IS smart kid.  That’s not a bad thing.  And while smart off the court doesn’t necessarily equal high basketball IQ, indications are that Williams is actually both.

You don’t have to be a genius to get into Harvard or Yale for basketball

The kid is smart tho. No doubt.

The academic admission standards for Ivy League athletes is tougher than other academically recognized schools such as Duke, Georgetown or Notre Dame.

There are no athletic scholarships to play for Ivy League schools. You have to be admitted into the school based on your academics. Almost all other Division 1 schools will allow their admissions standards to be lowered for athletes on scholarships. Some don't but the vast majority do.

It's true that Ivy league schools don't offer athletic scholarships...officially. It is also true that Ivy league schools have lots of funding options and as a matter of course find money to cover the tuition of their student athletes. It is not labeled as an athletic scholarship, but the tuition is covered. It is also true that student athletes at Ivy league schools are not held to the same standard academically as the rest of the student body when it comes to admission. This is not a guess on my part, I work in education and have worked at an Ivy league university and with high school seniors, including athletes. Athletes get admitted to Ivy league schools with academic records far less impressive than regular students, and this is for sports like crew, squash, and sailing, it is even more true for big time  sports like football and basketball.

Nowhere near the extent of other schools. Those athletes let into Ivy League schools are usually, still very impressive students. Those athletes aren't one and done athletes, or in the case of football, three and done . They are expected to be there 4 years and to graduate. Ivy League schools have a 97% graduation rate. Clearly, the athletes at these schools are top notch students as well.