Showcasing Derrick Williams a Step in Right Direction for Kings
Derrick Williams is the top example of a new, proper way of thinking by the Sacramento Kings.
Williams, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2011 NBA draft, was brought on by the middling Kings one season ago and flashed the elite talent that made him such a hot commodity.
For the .500 Kings, though, the former Arizona star has been more spark than fire.
A recent surge in playing time for Williams is not what it seems. For the 9-9 Kings, losers of four straight, an uptick in Williams' time on the court is not an attempt to unlock his alarming potential but rather to show him off in an effort to ship him away, at least according to Rui Thomas of Cowbell Kingdom:
"It’s no secret that Williams’ time is coming to an end in Sacramento. He is regarded around the league as a reclamation project at best, and at worst, a bust. The Kings can sell him to other clubs as an expiring deal, or let him walk when free agency begins.
The Kings want to squeeze the most out of their asset while they can. Middling and bottom-tier clubs would love to trade for Williams’ contract to shed long-term salaries, but what Sacramento is currently doing is reminding NBA scouts and general managers that the 6-foot-8, 240-pounder retains his tantalizing potential.
"
Bingo. With restricted free agency on the way, now is the right time for the Kings to shop around both Williams' upside and his attractive contract.
Remember, he is just 23 years old. His stats are unimpressive, but if there is a team that believes it can find a role for him, his career numbers to date will be something said team can overlook based on potential:
| '11-'12 | MIN | 21.5 | .412 | 4.7 | 0.6 | 0.5 | 8.8 |
| '12-'13 | MIN | 24.6 | .430 | 5.5 | 0.6 | 0.5 | 12.0 |
| '13-'14 | MIN | 14.7 | .352 | 2.4 | 0.1 | 0.4 | 4.9 |
| '13-'14 | SAC | 24.7 | .437 | 4.4 | 0.8 | 0.2 | 8.5 |
| '14-'15 | SAC | 11.5 | .462 | 1.8 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 5.2 |
Potential remains the name of the game with Williams.
Look at a December 2 encounter with the Toronto Raptors. Williams saw the floor for all of 14 minutes and posted an 8-of-12 line with 19 points and four boards.
Sam Amick of USA Today described the surprise best:
Rob Mahoney of SI.com did make a point to note that consistency remains the key issue surrounding the former player who only saw one Kyrie Irving drafted before him:
The outburst certainly justifies the investment in playing time by the organization. Teams around the league are aware of what Williams can do when given time, although such a performance as a fresh reminder does not hurt things.
Truthfully, Williams is a tweener player who has no true role at either small forward or power forward. At 6'8" and 240 pounds, he does not make significant headway on the defensive glass and is essentially a non-factor as a presence in the paint.
As the numbers show, he is great close to the basket and when slashing to get there, but his miserable jumper and poor ability to see passing lanes to get others involved have names such as Omri Casspi being more deserving of time in the rotation.
Translation—the Kings are hurting themselves in the short term with the long-term outlook in mind by giving Williams so much time on the court.
Like the initial move to acquire Williams, though, it is a low-risk approach. Coach Michael Malone and the front office have to bank on the hope that other teams with a desire to act as buyers realize that the Kings play a style that limits Williams' strengths.
"We've all seen it," stated Malone, per Steven Wilson of NBA.com. "He plays at his best when he's aggressive and he's confident and he gets out and runs the floor and he attacks the basket and plays above the rim.”
To pull the trigger, all it takes is one team that plans to let Williams run wild and not confine him to a single role. Anything in return for a failed experiment is a quality move for a Sacramento team that is in need of new faces off the bench and new contracts in the bank.
For the new-look Kings, a team that has not won 30 games in a season for six campaigns and running, the potential desire to ship away Williams and his contract to better build for the future is a good sign that the organization will not just sit on its hands.
All that remains is for something to actually come to fruition.
All stats and info via ESPN.com unless otherwise specified.
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