Hoopshype
http://www.hoopshype.com/draft/deron_williams.htm
http://tinyurl.com/c6uqa
Deron Williams Illinois
Position: PG
Height: 6-3 / 1,91
Weight: 210 lbs. / 95,3 kg.
Born: 6/26/84
Hometown: The Colony, Texas
Strengths: High basketball IQ... Good shooter and passer... Very strong
for a point guard.
Weaknesses: Not very quick... May have defensive problems in the NBA.
Season highs: 23 points vs. Longwood, 12 assists vs. Penn State and
seven rebounds vs. Valparaiso.
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Yahoo
http://s****ts.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=2069242&prov=st&type=lgns
http://tinyurl.com/8wxok
Deron Williams Draft Capsule
June 22, 2005
VITALS: 6-3, 210, Illinois
OVERVIEW: Williams set an Illinois record with 264 assists this season
and became the first player in Big Ten history to lead the conference
in assists three straight seasons. The point guard earned first team
all-conference honors and was the Most Outstanding Player of Chicago
Region after totaling 43 points and 18 assists against
Wisconsin-Milwaukee and Arizona. He averaged 12.5 points and 6.8
assists as a junior. In his three-year career, Williams averaged 11
points, 5.9 assists and shot 42 percent from the floor, 37 percent from
the arc and 69 percent from the foul line.
LIKELY DRAFT POSITION: Likely to be picked either fourth, fifth or
sixth. He is supposed to be the favorite with New Orleans, which picks
fourth, but that team is still listening to trade offers from other
teams seeking a point guard. If he doesn't go to the Hornets, Charlotte
or Utah, next in line, would like to grab him. It would surprise draft
observers if he gets past the sixth spot in the draft.
COMPARATIVE UPSIDE: Andre Miller, Mark Jackson
COMPARATIVE DOWNSIDE: Alvin Williams
ROLE PROJECTION: Immediate starter.
POSITIVES: Williams has that omniscient feel for the game that cannot
be taught. He invariably makes the right decision, sending the ball to
the teammate who is in the best position to score. He has broad
shoulders and was able to physically dominate his competition at the
college level. While he will find some stronger point guards in the
NBA, he has the kind of solid body that has served Andre Miller well in
the pros. Williams is just average as a perimeter shooter, but word is
that in team workouts he has shown improvement even from the end of the
college season.
SHORTCOMINGS: Williams is not the fastest point guard. He doesn't have
the breakaway speed of Chris Paul or Raymond Felton. At least
initially, teams will play off him and make him prove that his jump
shot is a threat. If it's not, he will have trouble getting to the
basket in the NBA. He's talented enough to make good p***** out on the
perimeter anyway, but to be a star he'll have to find a way to create
some penetration, and the best way to do that is keep defenses honest
with a consistent jump shot.
Updated on Wednesday, Jun 22, 2005 4:43 am EDT
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DraftExpress.com
http://www.draftexpress.com/viewprofile.php?mod=pprof&p=72
http://tinyurl.com/afwj8
Deron Williams
Name:Deron Williams
Height:6' 3"
Weight:202 pounds
Current Team:Illinois , Junior
NBA Position:PG
Date of Birth:6/26/1984 (20 Years Old)
High School:The Colony
Hometown:Woodlands, TX
Earliest Draft Class:2005
Current Position:PG
Possible Positions:PG/SG
Best Case Scenario:
Worst Case Scenario:
Profile Written By:Jonathan Givony
Last Updated:1/9/2005
Strengths:
Incredibly smart, strong and tough PG with an outstanding handle with
either hand. He can take you left or right equally well, with a lethal
crossover and strong body fakes, and if his man hesitates or backs off
him for just a second he'll stop on a dime and nail the mid-range
jumper right on top of him. Despite his average foot speed, Williams
always finds a way to get inside the lane.
Fundamentally sound. Has an incredible knack for running a basketball
team, he knows how to feed his teammates and always places the ball
exactly where they want it thanks to his outstanding court vision and
feel for the game. Watching him run the pick and roll (and he can be on
either end) is a thing of beauty. Williams can make the simple bounce
pass just as well as he can heave precise full-court bombs to ignite
the fast break. Plays with incredible patience and composure for a
player his age, doesn't panic and always lets the game come to him,
always fully taking advantage of his strengths.
He plays terrific defense (in the NCAA), mainly because of his strength
and footwork, but also because of his excellent fundamentals and high
basketball IQ. Doesn't risk his defensive position to get in the
passing lanes and come up with steals.
Whether he's scoring or not, Williams always makes his presence felt on
the floor. He also seems to have a pretty good demeanor on and off the
floor, which is nice to see from the heart and brains of your team.
Williams is a good perimeter shooter, hitting about two threes a game
in the NCAA over the past two seasons, usually on good percentages.
In crunch time, Williams wants the ball in his hands and usually does
exactly what's needed to help his team come away with the W. He's
exactly the type of guy you want handling the ball when the game is on
the line, as his decision making is usually superb. A good free throw
shooter as well.
Weaknesses:
Doesn't have great footspeed or a very quick first step. Most NBA PG's
have an extra burst of speed they can switch into to blow by their man
and create their own shot, or get into the lane and create for others.
Deron Williams doesn't.
He finds ways around that on the NCAA level, using a wide array of body
fakes and nifty dribbling to get his defenders off balance. Will he be
able to do the same in the NBA?
Defensively, he plays very well on the college level, but could have
trouble finding the lateral quickness to guard players like Stephon
Marbury, Dwyane Wade and others.
His three point shot isn't super consistent just yet, but I don't think
that's too much of a cause for concern. His release could be a little
faster, but that will likely be worked on in the pros.
And lastly, how is his conditioning? He looks just a little pudgy; does
he have room to get a little faster by shedding some weight? Is that
just his body type?
Competition:
Thrown straight into the fire as a freshman, starting in 30 out of 32
games his first season, ranking third in the Big Ten in assists, with
close to five per game. That following summer was named a member of the
US Junior World Champion****p Qualifying Team.
Had a breakout season nationally as a sophomore, named to the
First-Team All-Big Ten for both conference and tournament play. Had 31
points (10-13 shooting) in the second round of the NCAA Tournament in a
win over Cincinnati.
Member of the USA Junior World Champion****p that finished 5-0 to win
the 2003 Global Games in Dallas, Texas. Started all five games and
averaged 10.8 ppg., 4.0 apg., and shot 54.1 percent from the field,
including 58.3 percent from 3-point (14-24 3pt FGs). Co-MVP of the
Tournament.
(http://www.usabasketball.com/biosmen/deron_williams_bio.html)
Outlook:
Seems likely to at least test the draft waters this summer. His stock
is highly dependant on who's being asked, especially in such a strong
year for point guards, although it's hard (for me at least) to see him
slipping out of the middle of the first round at worst. At best he
could go top 10.
Comments:
Even though he definitely lacks speed, I can easily see Williams
becoming a very good PG in the NBA. The key for him will be landing in
the right situation, on a team that can play to his strengths and
utilize his terrific playmaking skills, like the Utah Jazz or Houston
Rockets for example.
I'm usually pretty quick to rule out players that I don't think are
quick enough to make it in the athleticism infatuated NBA, but there is
something about the way Deron Williams plays the game that makes me
think he is going to really special...
He'd definitely be an excellent candidate to represent the US in the
upcoming Olympics and possibly the World Champion****ps. His strengths
and style of play are tailor made for international competition.
Facts:
Has a two year old daughter, Denae.
Links:
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NBA Draft.net
http://www.nbadraft.net/profiles/deronwilliams.asp
http://tinyurl.com/7kpma
Deron Williams
Birthdate: 6/26/84
NBA Position: Point Guard
College: Illinois
Class: Junior
Ht: 6-3
Wt: 210
Hometown: The Colony, TX
High School: The Colony
Team Site Profile
2004 Stats
NBA Comparison: Andre Miller
Strengths: Overall floor general abilities are good ... Strong thick
physique; Bulls his way to the hoop overpowering smaller and weaker
defenders; A good rebounder from the guard position with both size and
strength; Has good vision and sees the whole court, always finding open
teammates; Very poised and always under control; No wasted dribbles;
Has a nice jumper; Confident with the ball in his hands and wants the
ball in crunch time; Can create for himself and for his team off the
dribble; Not flashy just gets the job done;
Weaknesses: Speed is an issue as he's not the quickest player on the
court ; His thick body type can be much a weakness as a plus as it
limits his mobility ... Lacks great open court speed and a quick first
step ... Relies on strength and overall body size too much; Defending
quicker players will be a problem; A good defender, but will has
lateral foot speed be an issue? ... Can get caught trying to do too
much at times and fires up shots instead of getting his teammates
involved;
-Mike Apodaca 12/23/04
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ESPN Insider
http://tinyurl.com/bv65v
Deron Williams
Point Guard (Rank: #2) | 6-3, 210 | Age: 20
Illinois (The Colony, TX)
View Prospects By: Player | Position | School/Country | NBA Team | NBA
Draft History
Draft Board: Round 1 | Round 2
Season Averages
YR GMS MIN PTS REB AST TO A/T STL BLK PF FG% FT% 3P% PPS
2004-05 39 33.7 12.5 3.6 6.8 2.8 2.4/1 1.0 0.2 2.1 .433 .677 .364 1.19
2003-04 30 33.9 14.0 3.2 6.2 2.5 2.5/1 1.0 0.3 2.3 .408 .787 .394 1.17
2002-03 31 27.5 6.5 2.9 4.6 1.9 2.4/1 1.5 0.2 2.3 .425 .533 .354 1.15
· View full player card
Draft Projection: Mid-lottery pick
Notes: Williams, not Wake Forest's Chris Paul, was the best point
guard in the NCAA Tournament. His performance should come as no surprise
to
Insider readers. We first ranked Williams as the No. 2 point-guard
prospect
in the draft at the start of the season after scouts raved about his play
last summer. That really hasn't changed all year.
Positives: Williams has firmly established himself as the second-best
point guard prospect in the draft behind Chris Paul. While Paul is getting
tagged as the best point guard prospect since Jason Kidd, Williams is
getting the rep as the player whose style and body most resemble Kidd's.
Williams' floor leader****p skills, strong body and physical defense make
the
comparisons work. "Deron is a lot like Kidd in the half court," one NBA
scout said. "They play the same way. They're both straight-line guys. Once
he gets his hip on you, he's gone. Deron's not as fast as Kidd in the open
court, but Deron can shoot. Jason can't."
Negatives: Not everyone agrees that Williams will have a great pro
career. Some scouts think he lacks the speed, quickness and creativity to
be
a great NBA point guard. His ability to dribble and penetrate at the next
level have been questioned. He's struggled the past few years to keep his
weight in check. His numbers this year are actually lower than they were
last season, when Williams wasn't even on NBA scouts' radar screens.
Summary: Most scouts feel that Williams' playmaking ability, size,
strength and floor vision make up for his lack of speed and creativity in
the open court. If you want a point guard who flies up and down the floor,
he's probably not the right pick. But in a halfcourt offense, there isn't
a
better prospect. Williams had an amazing tournament and has seen his stock
improve. Given how the draft is shaping up, Williams could go as high as
the
No. 4 overall pick in the draft.
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Cheers,
Chris Hafner
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