Sacramento Kings Power Needs Could Be Filled by Shelden Williams

Although the Sacramento Kings are in big trouble in terms of size, power, and athleticism, Shelden Williams might just help with at least two of these problems. Williams was selected by the Atlanta Hawks with the fifth overall pick in the 2006 NBA draft, then was traded to the Kings two years later.

The Kings acquired Williams in 2007-2008, along with Lorenzen Wright and Anthony Johnson, in a multi-player trade between the Atlanta Hawks and the Kings that sent Mike Bibby to Atlanta. Johnson and Wright have since left the Kings as free agents. One of the major goals of the Kings was to obtain young players and draft picks.

Shelden happens to be that young player, and the Kings also received Atlanta’s 2008-2009 first round pick (the pick has lottery protections).  

Although he’s not extremely athletic, at 6-9 and 250 pounds, Williams offers size and power on the low block. His nickname at Duke University was “the landlord,” because he owned the paint in college. It just has yet to translate to the NBA.

After starting a few times in his first few years with the Hawks, Williams quickly fell off the radar. During his rookie season, he averaged 5.5 points per game and 5.4 rebounds in 18.7 minutes. Not great, but it was much better than his second season (3.0 points per game and 3.0 rebounds in 11.5 minutes per game). Rumor has it that he lost popularity among the coaching staff in Atlanta.

Last season with the Kings, Williams averaged 5.2 points per game and 3.5 rebounds per game in 12.9 minutes. Most of the minutes came at the end of the season after the Kings were far from the playoffs.  

In the preseason opener against the Portland Trailblazers last Tuesday, Williams was the only player on the Kings squad who could hold Greg Olden, the 7-0 behemoth center on the Blazers, and prevent him from getting onto the low-block. Meanwhile, Oden pushed right through Kings power forward Mikki Moore, and second year center Spencer Hawes.

In the first preseason opener, Williams played for 20 minutes and had 7 PTS, 3 REB, 1 block, and four personal fouls. The numbers aren’t great, but he looked like a man among boys, especially as compared to the others in purple.  

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