Now that the NBA Draft Lottery is out of the way, it's time to start profiling the Pacers possibilities for 1st Round picks. The profiles will follow the same format as my 2nd Rounders, with a little bit more detail.
The Pacers received the 10th pick in the Lottery, but several possibilities for trading down and/or acquiring multiple picks have been floating around. For that reason I'm going to examine anyone who might help the Pacers, and then discuss within the profile any steps which might need to be taken to acquire that player.
We have just over a month until the draft, so I'll try to get a profile out every day or two. Here's who we'll be looking at today:
Elliot Williams - PG/SG - 6' 4" 175lbs. - University of Memphis
| Pts/40 | Reb/40 | Ast/40 | Stl/40 | eFG% | 3PT% | FT% | FT/40 | PPR | TO/Pos |
| 21.5 | 4.8 | 4.5 | 1.6 | 54.0 | 36.6% | 75.8% | 9.0 | -1.37 | 0.19 |
Strengths -
- At 6'4" with a wide wingspan, Williams has the size and length to spend time at either guard spot. He also has great speed and quickness which help him at both ends of the floor.
- In addition to the physical tools, Williams has the skills of a true combo guard. At the college level he was quite capable scoring for himself or using his dribble to create shots for his teammates. He showed a consistent jump-shot last year and is terrific getting to the rim. He draws a very high number of fouls and converts at an excellent rate.
- He has the physical tools and energy level to be an excellent defender.
Weaknesses -
- Jonathan Givony does a great job of pointing this out in his Draftexpress profile, but over the course of the season defenses were able to make some adjustments and make things difficult for Williams. Williams is almost completely reliant on his left hand when penetrating. Once teams figured this out, it was much easier to keep Williams out of the lane or force him into difficult shots. If he's going to be effective at the next level he will have to develop his off-hand, both from a ball handling standpoint and a finishing standpoint.
- Williams was the primary ball-handler for Memphis last season. As he adjusts to a new role in the NBA he needs to work on off the ball movement, and repetitions with his spot up jumper.
- Williams has some potential at the point guard position, but has a lot of development left to do before he maximizes his skills in this area. At Memphis most of his assists either came in transition or on simple drive and kicks. He did not spend much time running pick and rolls or creating shots in other offensive sets. He will need to catch his Basketball IQ up with his quickness and athleticism.
- Williams' lack of strength hurts him occasionally at the defensive end. This weakness should only be magnified against bigger, stronger NBA guards. In addition, he could work on refining his footwork and fundamentals on the defensive end.
How he can help the Pacers -
- The Pacers can use depth in the backcourt. While he has a lot to learn, he has the ability to spend minutes at both backcourt positions. Long-term he could pair very well with A.J. Price in the second unit. Williams can guard the shooting guard but act as the primary ball-handler. This would allow him to maximize his offensive effectiveness, while Price would work off-the-ball looking for openings to use his jumpshot. While he has a lot of development left to go through he is talented, athletic and versatile, three things which have been missing from recent Pacer rosters.
- He is projected to go in the late 20s and could be an excellent target if the Pacers trade down to acquire multiple picks.
Video -
- Sorry, I couldn't find any interview footage, or worthwhile highlight video for Elliot Williams.
More Information -