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The Detroit Pistons should target Grant Williams in the NBA Draft

By Spyros Papadakos

CHICAGO, IL - MAY 17: Grant Williams of Tennessee works out during the 2019 NBA Combine at Quest MultiSport Complex on May 17, 2019 in Chicago, Illinois. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement.(Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)
CHICAGO, IL - MAY 17: Grant Williams of Tennessee works out during the 2019 NBA Combine at Quest MultiSport Complex on May 17, 2019 in Chicago, Illinois. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement.(Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images) /
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LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY – MARCH 28: Grant Williams #2 of the Tennessee Volunteers shoots over Trevion Williams #50 of the Purdue Boilermakers during the first half of the 2019 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament South Regional at the KFC YUM! Center on March 28, 2019 in Louisville, Kentucky. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY – MARCH 28: Grant Williams #2 of the Tennessee Volunteers shoots over Trevion Williams #50 of the Purdue Boilermakers during the first half of the 2019 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament South Regional at the KFC YUM! Center on March 28, 2019 in Louisville, Kentucky. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) /


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.

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