With the Draft Lottery complete, the Early Entry List set, the NBA Draft fast approaching, it's time to examine more in depth some of the players who could be available for the Pacers. Over the next few weeks I'll be trying to put together as many profiles as possible. Instead of identifying players as specific targets for either Pacers' pick, I'm just going to cover a pool of players I think are possibilities. You'll find some players who the Pacers would likely have to trade up or down for. I've also expressed my opinion that the Pacers need to be focused on talent as much as fit, so players at all five positions will be included.

These profiles are not intended to advocate for one player over another, just examine their strengths and weaknesses, and discuss in some detail what they have to offer. For each profile I provided Ten Important Statistics to guide the discussion. Today we'll be looking at:

Jordan Williams - C - 6'9"  247 lbs. - University of Maryland 

Current DraftExpress Projection: Round 2, Pick #14

Strengths:

• Provides a strong, physical presence on the interior
• Has a developing post game
• Makes himself available by moving without the ball, good touch around the basket
• Excellent, fundamentally sound, rebounder at both ends of the floor

Weaknessess:

• Displays average athleticism at best
• Slightly undersized, but will have to play center because of lack of footspeed
• Mid-range game needs a lot of work, really struggles at the free throw line
• Could improve his decision making and passing from the post

Impressions:

Williams has made great strides in productivity with an entire college offense built around him, and has placed himself on the radar for being an NBA prospect. That being said, he still has a way to go to diversify his offensive game to show that he can play a similar role in the league. Displaying success shooting the ball, developing a pick and roll game, and making better use of his left hand in the post would go a long way towards quelling the concerns of his current offensive skills translating.

- Derek Bodner, DraftExpress.com

Hickory High Comparables:

• Emeka Okafor - 909
• LaMarcus Aldridge - 906
• Nick Collison - 886
• See the rest of Jordan Williams' comparables at Hickory-High

How he can help the Pacers:

• His ceiling is as a role player and he probably needs time to develop before becoming a consistent contributor. However, if the Pacers' selected Williams he would immediately become the best rebounder on the team not named Foster. He also has the potential to provide some scoring in the post, something that was sorely lacking from last year's roster. Taking Jordan Williams in the second round would be a low risk proposition. The best case scenario is that two or three seasons from now he's a backup center, crashing the glass and scoring around the rim. The worst case scenario is that he doesn't stick with the team. Low risk, moderate reward.

Video:

More Information:

• DraftExpress Profile
• NBADraft.net Profile
• ESPN Draft Profile