Derrick Williams: Can He Play the Small Forward Position Effectively?

Drafting Derrick Williams ensured that there will be no lack of talent at forward for the Minnesota Timberwolves. He brings a sweet and powerful finishing touch that left Duke defenders dazed and confused during this past year's NCAA tournament.

Williams is like rolling thunder in the paint: always moving quick and turning heads whenever he strikes.

The Timberwolves were right to draft this young man, but now the question is like the one you had that time you bought the new speed boat for your weekend bass-fishing trips.

It is going to be fun and you will get a lot of use out of it, but where are you going put it?

Williams insists that he is best suited for the small forward position. Many scouts pegged him as more effective defending NBA power forwards.

Let's take a look at the best position for Williams on this Timberwolves team.

The Offensive Game

Williams is an extremely talented player on the offensive end. He shoots the ball well and gets to the line like it is going out of style. He also improved his three-point game to over 50 percent his second year in college (granted it was on limited attempts).

But this gives defenses an added headache of trying to defend Williams as well as Kevin Love's long-range game.

The main points here are that Williams is a monster finisher, possesses an uncanny ability to create points and will be an exciting yang to Ricky Rubio's ying.

Now, the not-as-exciting news...

The Defensive Game

While Williams' defense was not terrible, it also is probably not elite either by NBA standards. He lacks the quickness to defend against some of the rangier small forwards in the league.

The Wolves struggled immensely guarding elite small forwards. Take, for example, the team's play against Kevin Durant. The Oklahoma City star dropped 23, 28, 30 and 47 against the Wolves last season.

Williams will probably not be able to plug that hole right away.

There is some merit to the observation that Williams might be able to defend power forwards better. There will be lots of debate where the former Wildcat's skills will be used most efficiently.

With no role open specifically for him, other factors surrounding the team will probably influence where Derrick Williams will play this next season.

Kevin Love Equals Alpha Dog

My mom always told me to, "Dance with the one you came with." 

The Wolves need Kevin Love more than he needs them, and their first priority should be to make sure he sticks around. Granted, Love is not the type of player who will get jealous over Williams sharing his space.

In fact, he will probably welcome it.

However, Love is the only bona fide All-Star on the team and his talents should be used accordingly.

What does that mean for Derrick Williams? It means that he will probably not start at PF consistently. From the looks of it, the team will probably have multiple starting lineups. Against a smaller team, Williams would probably start at PF.

Michael Beasley's Role

In his initial press conference after the draft, David Kahn stated that the team's current crop of forwards (Beasley, Love, Williams, Randolph and Johnson) will be sticking around for a while.

Williams said he is excited to play with Beasley and thinks that the two of them will be a major scoring threat.

People will remember the Jefferson/Love logjam of '09 and its miserable failure. Beasley and Williams have different styles than Jefferson and Love. Due to their range, they will be more compatible on the court together.

Could Beasley be a sixth man? From the looks of it, everyone on this Minnesota Timberwolves team will have to accept different roles than last year. That is not a bad thing.

The best-case scenario is that Beasley and Williams provide a major scoring threat for when Love is on the bench. Worst-case scenario is that Beasley becomes jealous of the attention Williams is getting.

The Coach

Kurt Rambis and his future with the Minnesota Timberwolves is in that stage of a relationship where you know it's not going to work out, but nobody has the guts to cut ties in a direct manner. And then it is just really awkward for everyone involved.

Like every rookie, Derrick Williams will need guidance to transition into the pro game, and the coaching chaos is not the best thing for him.

Rambis and his triangle offense have been a square peg in a round hole for Minnesota. Even though Kahn has not publicly fired Rambis yet, the writing is on the wall. Kahn also stated on Bill Simmons' podcast that Rambis is not effective when coaching a young team.

The best-case scenario for Williams would be for the general management to bring in a coach who can mentor him (much like McHale and Love a few years ago).

This will allow him to figure out his role on this team and in the pro game.

The Pieces

What do all of these pieces mean for Derrick Williams playing at the small forward?

Here is what we know:

1. Williams has the potential to be an explosive talent on the offensive end.

2. Williams, much like the rest of the Timberwolves, will probably struggle defending elite small forwards.

3. The forwards on this team will have to accept multiple roles to make this team effective. Love and Beasley's leadership are key to making it work.

4. The lack of certainty in the coaching slot is not helping anything.

Can Williams be effective solely at the small forward position? No. 

But with the right lineups, attitudes and guidance, Williams will grow into an elite forward who will play multiple positions and help bring a respectable number of wins to the Timberwolves franchise this year.