
Shooting ability
Williams shot 32.6 percent on 46 3-point attempts which is a fairly small sample. Furthermore, he shot 24 percent on NBA threes and 2 of 11 from the corners. Definitely not a sniper from three.
So, here’s the silver lining. The junior out of Tennessee hit 50 of his 100 long mid-range jump shots according to the Stepien’s shot chart tool, which is staggering. And those were not easy jumpers either. Williams consistently made jump shots off the mid-post, pick&pop jumpers and off the dribble pull-ups, a lot of the times with a hand in his face.
To make things even better, he shot 56 out of 111 short mid-range attempts, displaying amazing touch on awkward off-balance push shots and hooks. Even more astonishing is the fact that he made 111 out 152 attempts at the rim (72.37%), using his strength to create space versus length and finish with a soft touch.
For a guy that lacks the length to finish over other players, Williams shooting percentages were pretty impressive (58.2% eFG), which suggests tremendous shooting touch. A dive into his college tape supports this claim.
The last piece of the puzzle is his free throw shooting. From his freshman to his junior year, the 20-year-old went from shooting 66.7 to 81.9 percent on free throws. Not only does that show great shooting mechanics but also tells us a lot about a commitment to self-improvement.
There’s plenty of evidence that he will be a floor spacer in the NBA and a 46 attempt sample size is not as strong a piece of evidence in light of all the rest. Here’s a deeper dive from Ben Rubin, one of the many Grant Williams proponents out there.