The 2011 Draft produced kyrie Irving (1), Kemba Walker (9), Klay Thompson (11), Cowy Leonard (15), Jimmy Butler (30) and Isaiah Thomas (60) and many other star players, who not only had high quality of talent, but also had a good lineup thickness. But in this recent edition of the chart show, Derek Williams finally attracted attention after joining the Cavaliers. Six years on, he's been to five teams and it seems he's finally found a place for himself on the Cavaliers. Therefore, some fans can't help but ask, why did Williams, the leader of the list, fall to this point?
However, in the eyes of the special basket, Williams' story does not seem to belong to the category of "sinking". Yes, as the 2011 show, he was selected before Thompson, Walker and others, which does show that he deserves to be expected to be higher. However, whether players can play in the NBA, in addition to personal ability and quality, but also depends on whether the environment of the team can match their own ability, the so-called opportunity is indeed very important.
Williams is in the rebuilding period of the Timberwolves after being selected by the Timberwolves, and it is said that for a high-ranking rookie, it is a great opportunity to play his personal strength. However, the labor dispute that year led to a contraction in the season, and all the rookies failed to go through the summer league training, and directly after a short pre-season game, they went to the official stage. Williams, who has just turned 20, is physically fit and well-rounded in college, and can eat inside and outside. But when he faced a higher level of confrontation, Williams's swing attributes were not displayed, and his full range of skills became inconsistent. In the Timberwolves at the time, Williams was not as good as Beasley, not as fast as Wesley Johnson, and not as tall and strong as Love. Therefore, although he is the top spot, he does not get too many opportunities to play in the team, averaging less than 20 minutes per game.
In the Timberwolves' second season, "coinciding" with a major injury to Love, Williams seemed to have a good chance of his own. However, with the increase of playing time, Williams's technical shortcomings have been revealed, lack of range, no ability to handle the ball/organization (career average assists per game does not exceed 1.0), shooting hesitation, especially the three-point ability is not flexible, and it is suddenly exploded into slag under the comparison of The projection ability of Lefu Hard.
A season later, Williams, who returned from injury with Love, was also dropped by the team and traded to the Kings.
After coming to the Kings, Williams came to a more chaotic living environment. Sacramento's long-term chaotic management, the change of coach is like a marquee, and it is not mentioned for the time being. To make matters worse, not only are there hoards of Rudy Guy, Omey Kasby, Travis Otello and other three- and four-position swingers, but also All-Star big center DeMarcus Cousins squeezing the inside space. For a player like Williams, who is known for his mobility and athleticism, and who makes a living under the basket, it is undoubtedly a big disadvantage.
After the rookie contract expired, the team did not choose to renew his contract, and Williams joined the New York Knicks as a free agent. Here, he became a regular in the top ten balls with his excellent explosive power, but the team's poor record and his personal performance never achieved a breakthrough. A season later, Williams was dropped by the Knicks.
Williams didn't get a chance to be at home, so one day the Heat threw an olive branch at him and took it into the account.
On February 10 of this year, Williams was pardoned by the Heat and restored to her freedom. However, just three days later, he was recruited by the Cavaliers.
From his experience, is Williams really not a good player? Not necessarily. As a basketball player, being able to play in the NBA is already remarkable in itself. Surviving in a coalition with a total quota limit of only 450 is not easy. Williams, who has tossed five teams in six seasons, has never been left alone. This fact speaks for itself his worth. Therefore, sinking is really not enough, but Williams really failed to play his own list.
Navigating between different environments and facing different playing styles, Williams has never had a stable playing environment since entering the league. He also never averaged more than 25 minutes per game. For a reliable role player, it may be enough to show his skill. But if you look at it in terms of the color of a show, it is slightly insufficient. How is it possible to think that the horses run and that the horses do not eat grass?
From this point of view, perhaps people's misunderstanding begins with the identity of the list. If it weren't for the title, Kwame Brown would be a good low-post defender in the league; if it weren't for the top spot, Milisic would be good enough to be a reliable rotation player. Under the fame, in fact, it is difficult to match, which seems to have become the source of most tragedies in the NBA. Derek Williams is no exception.
In just 10 games since joining the Cavaliers, Williams has shown great resilience and has achieved a seamless connection with the team that mainly plays small ball. Shooting percentage and three-point shooting rate have all set career highs. With James threading the needle in it, Williams was finally able to give full play to his characteristics.
You could say he's a system player and you can say that his functionality has strong limitations. But as a dedicated professional player, Williams has no lace news, no off-court scandals, and has never given up in a chaotic on-field environment (6 years and 5 teams), such a player is a good player in the eyes of the basketball team. Sink? He really isn't!
I hope that he will eventually find a position in this strong team that aims to defend his title and move towards the peak of his career. After all, it was still early, and he was not yet 26 years old. Bless him.