Ht/Wt: 6-5 / 207 lbs
Position: SG/SF
Team: Louisville
Class: Senior

2009 Draft Profile - Terrance Williams

Sometimes I don’t understand the scouting of NBA players. Why are defenders, passers and all around team players constantly passed on for ball hogs and “turnover a minute” guys? Why is athleticism sometimes ignored, yet other times, a principle reason for drafting?

For most of the year, Terrence Williams has been the most unappreciated player in college basketball. The scouts often questioned what he didn’t do and forgot to look at what he did do. Most mock drafts had him listed as a second round pick, something that was unfathomable to me. He has been one of my favorite players the last two years and I’m glad to see he’s getting some well deserved respect.

What I see in Williams, is the quintessential team player, that one guy that makes everyone else better. He does the little things on the court. These are the things that make the team win, but rarely show up in the box-score. Coaches beg for players to “make that extra pass” or play defense like it’s the fourth quarter, but no one seemed to acknowledge Williams has been doing these very things, to little or no fan fare.

They said he was a poor shooter; they questioned his age and said that he played out of control. What about averaging 5 assists a game from the small forward position or 8 plus rebounds? In the last couple of weeks, Williams seems to have found his shot, found a few friends in the media, and potentially may move into the first round.

Poor shooting, perhaps, but how about looking at his three-point shooting the last 10 games where he has shot 23 for 51, for a jaw dropping 45%, for the year, he’s at 38%. Now, he still needs to improve in this area, but he’s not as bad as advertised. Also keep in mind, he’s the kind of player that can get a good look every time, so when his shot does improve; he’s going to be a dynamite player.

If you watched Louisville this year, you would have been rewarded with watching some of the best outlet passes since Kevin Love, and thread the needle passes in the half court that lead me to believe he might develop into a point guard. Terrence is also very willing to defer to his teammates, and that is something most players have a hard time with, but Terrence was more interested in winning, something that’s forgotten in any scouting reports I read. Most guys are also looking to pad their stats so they get drafted, Williams only averaged 12 points a game, but Louisville won a lot of games this year, many of them because of his unselfishness.

If he were to play point guard, he would need a few years to refine his game, and make better decisions in the half court, but no one finds guys for lay-ups and dunks like Terrence Williams, especially with his height and athleticism; he could be flat out dominant.

At the end of the day, Terrence Williams will be a player many teams will regret passing on, especially if he’s drafted where he’s projected. Personally I’ll take players that can defend, pass the ball and can take quarters off the top of the backboard any day of the week. Put him in an up-tempo offense and you’ll have a very special player, and the fact that every 5’10 point guard in the draft is listed above him, is downright sickening. Terrence is a legitimate 6’5 and a solid 215 pounds; the perfect size for a shooting guard in the NBA. Whatever GM drafts him, will get a solid player in what many people are calling a weak draft.
Draft Profile provided by Ed Ziti of SportsPolyMath.com

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Terrence Williams Stats
Season	GP	MPG	PPG	FG%	3FG%	FT%	APG	RPG	BPG	SPG
2008-2009	37	34.2	12.5	43.1	38.5	58.1	5.0	8.6	0.8	2.3
2007-2008	36	35.9	11.1	41.1	34.0	57.1	4.5	7.2	0.8	1.3
2006-2007	34	33.0	12.4	36.7	26.1	60.4	3.8	7.0	0.7	1.3
2005-2006	33	25.1	8.4	39.1	31.0	61.2	2.1	4.7	0.3	1.0
Career	140	32.2	11.2	39.9	32.0	58.8	3.9	6.9	0.6	1.5

2008 Draft Profile

A 6'6" SG that can rebound and push the ball. Good athlete with very strong body, good vision and is explosive on the offensive end. Needs to work on his shot, but there is no reason to suggest he can’t do this. Could fall to the 2nd round, or move into the top 10 -- he has that kind of raw ability.




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