Pick #16.....

[kg01]

1 hour ago, marco102 said:

AJ is a wing. How do you get power forward from his skillet?

He is 6'6" with 7 ft wingspan.

Slow(ish), athleticism questions, not a great ballhandler.  Works in college, but it means you're really a 4 not a 3 in the NBA.

[marco102]

Just now, kg01 said:

Slow(ish), athleticism questions, not a great ballhandler.  Works in college, but it means you're really a 4 not a 3 in the NBA.

There are plenty of wings that meet that criteria.

I give you one De'Andre Hunter and we all know he's not a PF.

AJ isn't slowish.  He just average with his athletiscm right now.

[marco102]

I like Malaki and Kendall. Kendall is one of the best defenders in the draft. Great in transition and super athletic. Terrible every where else. 

The defense is real and if he can ever get a three ball and better handle, he will be one of the better three and d players in the league. That is a big if though.

[Royjr9]

Honestly give me  dyson Daniels in a trade up or either take Dalen terry at 16.  They both offer up that two way potential that could and will thrive next to trae young. 

[sturt]

It's a real brainteaser...

 

On the one hand, if we're as successful as we intend to be for these next few seasons, we may look back at having had the #16 slot, and think "Dang, we should have capitalized on that while we had the chance. Now we're always picking in the very back of the first round, and we can't get much quality cheap talent."

 

On the other hand, we might not get as successful as we intend to be for next season if we draft another kid who inherently won't be able to crack our rotation, and effectively waste the value of that asset when it could have been conceivably, instead, converted into an asset that could crack our rotation.

 

Neither option seems all that attractive in the bigger picture.

 

 

[kg01]

8 hours ago, marco102 said:

There are plenty of wings that meet that criteria.

I give you one De'Andre Hunter and we all know he's not a PF.

AJ isn't slowish.  He just average with his athletiscm right now.

All your descriptions of him make me cringe at the thought of drafting him.  But you know me enough to know thats par for my course.  

[Diesel]

Welcome to Diesel's Draft Warroom.  As you look on the Board, you will see my top 5 in this order:

1. Mark Williams.

My thought is to BU the CC/OO combo with a big 7 foot C.  I think MWill is that guy.  7'7" wingspan and 9'8" standing reach...with a shot blockers timing... this guy is going to be something.   He has his negatives like no post game, etc... but that can be coached.   What can't be coached is size, speed, and timing.   He got those in bundles. 

1. Jalen Duren

Manchild!  Grown ass man playing.  Duren is the best physical specimen to come out of the draft since Lebron.  He has a grown man's offense.   He has good defense.   He's probably better than Ayton coming out of the draft and his athleticism to me gives him upside beyond say Ayton. 

1. Jalen Williams

As far as wings go... This player is the truth... He has handles.  He knows how to attack.  On day one, he would challenge Hunter for the starting spot. 

1. Nikola Jovic

 If he was to fall to 16 and Duren and Williams were still on the board, it would be very hard to pass him up.  He's going to be a great shooter.  He has a handle.   He has size and wingspan.  He could later translate into a PF if he felt it.  Unlike Williams (Jalen) he would need some more time to develop... but year 3... look out. 

1. Patrick Baldwin Jr. 

This would get a lot of groans from statheads.  That's because Statheads don't tend to look at mechanics.  This is a coaches son... He has perfect mechanics.  He also has good recognition.   His Feetwork is higher echelon.   If he was to stay another year and come out next year, he would be high lottery (top 3).   That's my bet.  With him, my bet is that (like Jokic) if you give him time to grow, you will not be unhappy with what you get in 2-3 years.  He needs more strength and weight and then he has to learn to walk around with that weight. 

 

[Spud2nique]

8 minutes ago, Diesel said:

Nikola Jokic

 Jovic. 
 

In the future, please don’t misspell the two, thank you.

[kg01]

1 hour ago, Spud2nique said:

In the future, please don’t misspell the two, thank you.

Nah, in the future, always misspell the two.  Chaos wins.

[marco102]

@kg01 here's a kid that I've been hearing a lot about lately that you may be on board for.  

Jalen Williams - 6.5.5 in shoes, 7'2" wingspan.  Good shooter and defender.  21 years old at draft date. 

https://www.noceilingsnba.com/p/jalen-williams-deserves-your-attention?s=r

Quote

Jalen Williams Deserves Your Attention

NBA Draft fans love the idea of finding a "Sleeper." Well, let me tell you about one prospect that has my attention.

Tyler Rucker

Feb 11

14

6

 

 

---

The term “Sleeper” is thrown around often in the NBA Draft world. We often use this word to express the idea that there’s a prospect out there who simply isn’t receiving the recognition or attention they might deserve. An idea is born that this player could transform into a basketball magician, installing unexpected happiness to a future fan base.

As fans of the NBA Draft, we find ourselves obsessed with names that are trending towards becoming potential lottery selections. There are players in every class that are simply the “belle of the ball,” and we find ourselves levitating towards them with a thirst of curiosity. All of us are guilty of it. We get a grasp for the blue-chip prospects for the incoming slate of young talent destined for the NBA, and we start to monitor their progression on a nightly basis.

But there’s also the other side of the fence that keeps some of us up late into the night. It’s the late hours that involve heavy eyes and questionable timing of caffeine consumption. Chasing “sleepers” can be a mindset that drives an individual insane. You find yourself traveling into a dark realm, consuming film of teams that you would never have previously imagined.

✓

 

 

When I alerted the No Ceilings crew of who I was going to write about for my next piece, the first response I got made me want to do this article even more…

“You mean Jaylin Williams of Arkansas?”

My response politely was… “No, I do not.”

Our goal here at No Ceilings is always to educate you on the depth of prospects that are going to be mentioned in each Draft Class. There’s always going to be plenty of time to talk about the popular names that are trending in the scouting world, but it’s important to get a grasp for the full slate. By the time the 2022 NBA Draft comes around, there’s a chance that there’s going to be a number of prospects we discuss who simply won’t be drafted. Does that mean they don’t deserve the attention as the others? No, it does not.

Let me tell you about a prospect who I believe deserves your attention. That player is Santa Clara guard Jalen Williams. Throughout my time evaluating prospects, I’ve managed to build some relationships with some individuals who have an eye for finding talent. Usually, these conversations involve some of the notable prospects in the class, but when there’s a wildcard name mentioned…you listen.

That’s just what happened with Jalen Williams. I quickly found myself rushing to dive into the film of Williams, and I quickly became intrigued. When it comes to looking closely at an “unknown” talent, you start to go through a checklist of boxes and see if you can continue to get more intrigued after you answer each question. The first was the measurables. Williams is listed at 6’6”, 195 pounds, and definitely looked the part on tape for a potential NBA wing. So far, so good. The next was the background. Although Williams is listed as a junior, he won’t turn 21-years-old until April of this year. Again, we are trending in the right direction. Then you go and look at the production over the years. This might just be something that I personally go crazy for, but I love to see when a player has continued to improve across the board throughout their career.

Here’s a look at Williams over his three-year career at Santa Clara so far.

2019-20:

• 7.7 PTS, 2.8 REB, 1.9 AST, 1.3 STL, 43.6 FG%, 35.2 3P%, 76.3 FT%, 25.5 MIN

2020-21:

• 11.5 PTS, 4.1 REB, 2.3 AST, 1.2 STL, 39.9 FG%, 27.4 3P%, 75.7 FT%, 31.6 MIN

2021-22 (as of 2/10/22):

• 18.1 PTS, 3.8 REB, 3.7 AST, 1.2 STL, 52.3 FG%, 41.0 3P%, 83.3 FT%, 34.4 MIN

That is the type of stuff that makes me start to drool. While the second year percentages might scare you, it’s important to realize that this type of stuff is more common than not when it comes to players returning to school. Once players establish themselves at a school or team, they are going to be asked to take on more of an offensive load. Williams saw a big spike in his shot attempts throughout his sophomore season, so it’s not shocking to see that he struggled from the field. What is fascinating is the eye-opening jump in production from this year compared to his sophomore campaign. That’s when I knew that a dangerous amount of film was about to be consumed.

Let’s get to it.

✓

 

 

---

THE FILM

FEEL FOR THE GAME

 

When I started to dive into Jalen Williams’ film, his overall shiftiness with the ball in his hands really caught my attention. This is what is so great about players returning to school for extended years of development, as you can see their confidence and comfort with the game start to come together. Williams understands that he can use his hesitations and shiftiness to create enough of a window to do damage when he’s getting downhill. All he needs here is that quick little hesitation, and he explodes to take advantage of the reacting defender before finishing strategically on the other side of the rim.

FANCY FOOTWORK

 

After seeing Williams successfully do work in traffic on a number of occasions, I found myself wanting to see how he could create off the bounce. Immediately, I was intrigued as there are some fascinating tools to work with. Williams knows how to set up defenders and does a great job of creating separation when he needs to. He’s a confident outside shooter who can get hot and stay that way in a hurry.

NBA RANGE? CHECK

 

When Jalen Williams is rolling, you know it, I know it, and boy…does the opposing defense know it as well. Williams only needs a couple of shots to fall before that basket starts to look drastically bigger. He’s a player who understands where his defender is, and he can stop on a dime at any moment to give himself a wide-open look.

PATIENCE ON THE ATTACK

 

This is the type of play you’ll frequently see when it comes to Jalen Williams getting downhill. He’s not this type of super freakish athlete who is going to wow you, but the junior guard understands how to use his body to put defenders in uncomfortable positions. Love the patience by Williams here to allow this drive to develop and then cap it off with a gorgeous finish.

MORE RANGE PLEASE

 

Another promising development when it comes to Williams is his ability to get shots up in a hurry. There are plenty of times on film where you’ll see that Williams can be a lethal threat in catch-and-shoot opportunities. Although Jalen has shown the ability to be a dynamic threat off the dribble, he also has the potential to be an intriguing asset off the ball.

PLAYMAKING PART I

 

Williams has had a number of games this year in which he’s put up impressive performances against some tougher competition. That’s definitely notable, especially when you’re trying to value the idea of a potential “sleeper” prospect in an upcoming NBA Draft class. His most recent game was an eye-opening performance in an upset win over 22nd-ranked Saint Mary’s. He went on to finish the night with 18 points, two rebounds, and ten assists while shooting 70% from the field. What stood out to me in that game was Williams’s ability as a playmaker. This is a great example of it here as the junior guard makes a beautiful read on this P&R action.

PLAYMAKING PART II

 

Another play from the Saint Mary’s game that really stood out to me, as it showed Williams’ ability to make quick decisions on the fly. After this P&R action up top, Jalen is going to have to whip his head around after the defensive pressure and analyze the floor quickly. He does that and makes a beautiful pass on the money for an easy two.

VIOLENT HANDS

 

Although the 20-year-old guard continued to impress me on the offensive side of the ball, I wanted to get an idea of his potential as a two-way player as well. There will definitely be some growing pains with Williams, but it’s nothing I don’t think can be coached out of him with time. Overall, I came away impressed with the flashes that he’s shown on the defensive side of the ball. There’s some good awareness to his game, as he has the ability to read the floor and make quick decisions on the fly. Something that stood out to me with Jalen was his hands defensively. He has VIOLENT hands that are quick to attack.

HELP ME HELP YOU

 

Another play that caught my attention from the Saint Mary’s game. Great weakside help here from Williams, who continues to creep and reads this play like a book. This was a massive momentum shift in the game for Santa Clara, who eventually went on to pull off the upset.

CHASEDOWN

 

You’ll see this as a good example when I’m talking about the potential that Williams has on the side. There’s no doubt that he has the tools and ability to become a solid defender at the next level, but he’s probably going to just need some work on his fundamentals. Still, great job of contesting throughout this play, and then we get to see Williams finish this play with a great rejection.

WATCH THAT ON REPEAT

 

The weakside help on this play is sensational from Williams, as he flies across the screen to make an emphatic play on the ball. What was so fascinating about this steal is the fact that you have to watch this play on repeat to realize how ridiculous it was. Williams doesn’t even get this ball on the first attempt. If you slow it down, he actually reaches back and steals it with his left hand. Could be freaky, could be a fluke, but it’s pretty remarkable, in my opinion.

DO NOT COME IN HERE

 

Although there are plenty of plays in which Williams defeats his defenders with his shiftiness and feel, he also has a number of plays on tape where you can see that he has some sneaky athleticism to his game. Love the awareness and activity from the 6’6” junior on this sequence. Jalen does a great job of coming over to give baseline help before quickly getting his head around to make an empathic rejection on the ball.

---

There are going to be plenty of “sleepers” in every NBA Draft class who are going to get the attention of basketball fans and evaluators out there. It’s one of the most exciting parts when it comes to scouting for an upcoming Draft. You find something that you believe could turn into a diamond if it ends up in the right situation. I’m not trying to tell you that Santa Clara junior Jalen Williams deserves to be an automatic first-round selection in the 2022 NBA Draft…

I’m just telling you that he deserves your attention.

Leave a comment

 

 

14 likes

Like

Comment

Share

 

 

 

 

 

ogbronco

Feb 11·edited Feb 11Liked by Tyler Rucker

Re: second-year FG% decline - SCU was forced to play in Santa Cruz County for 2 months (@ the Warriors G League arena) due to Santa Clara County COVID restrictions. This meant the team lived out of a hotel and had to split court time with 3 other teams (SCU women, Stanford men, Stanford women) and had no more than 2 hours/day for practices. Can imagine how little time that left to get shots up individually and shoot your way out of a slump...

 

1Reply

1 reply

 

 

 

Patrick Daniels

Feb 11Liked by Tyler Rucker

Thanks Tyler for opening my eyes to a guy that neither I, nor any of my pals knew about. Great video and analysis!

 

1Reply

1 reply

 

4 more comments…

 

 

TopNewCommunity

2022 NBA Mock Draft V.5The No Ceilings Crew installs their Two-Round Mock Draft

No Ceilings

Apr 7

 

17

2

 

2022 NBA Draft BIG Board V.6The No Ceilings crew ranks the Top 80 prospects in the 2022 NBA Draft.

No Ceilings

May 11

 

13

 

 

2022 NBA Mock Draft V.4The No Ceilings crew mock drafts the top 30 prospects in the 2022 NBA Draft.

No Ceilings

Mar 16

 

16

5

 

2022 NBA Mock Draft V.6.2We put together a first round Mock Draft yesterday after the lottery, but we couldn't resist returning today for a full 58-pick Mock Draft.

No Ceilings

May 19

 

10

1

 

Paolo Banchero's Case for #1Jabari Smith and Chet Holmgren seem to be the odds on favorites to go #1 to the Orlando Magic—but what about Paolo Banchero? I make the case for why he…

Alex (Draft Film School)

May 25

 

11

6

 

2022 NBA Draft BIG Board V.5The No Ceilings crew ranks the Top 80 prospects in the 2022 NBA Draft.

No Ceilings

Apr 6

 

13

1

 

The Shades of Jeremy SochanVersatility is a currency equivalent to gold in the NBA and Baylor freshman Jeremy Sochan has the potential to make Front Offices drool.

Tyler Rucker

Apr 14

 

20

2

 

2022 NBA Draft Big Board v.1The No Ceilings crew ranks the top 30 prospects in the 2022 NBA Draft.

No Ceilings

Dec 7, 2021

 

15

 

 

Then and Now | The Weekend WarriorComparing my Big Board 1.0 to 6.0

Stephen Gillaspie

May 15

 

13

 

 

The Versatility of Vince Williams Jr. | The Prospect OverviewVCU's Vince Williams Jr. spent his senior season stuffing the stat sheet; what does it mean for his NBA chances? Plus, Jason Roche is The Draft Sicko…

Maxwell Baumbach

Mar 28

 

11

 

 

See all

 

© 2022 No Ceilings

Privacy ∙ Terms ∙ Collection notice

Publish on SubstackGet the app

Substack is the home for great writing

@NBASupes what are your thoughts on Williams and his fit with the Hawks? 

@Spud2nique you should research this kid. 

@JayBirdHawk just wanted to add you :D. 

[kg01]

1 minute ago, marco102 said:

@kg01 here's a kid that I've been hearing a lot about lately that you may be on board for.  

Jalen Williams - 6.5.5 in shoes, 7'2" wingspan.  Good shooter and defender.  21 years old at draft date. 

https://www.noceilingsnba.com/p/jalen-williams-deserves-your-attention?s=r

@NBASupes what are your thoughts on Williams and his fit with the Hawks? 

@Spud2nique you should research this kid. 

@JayBirdHawk just wanted to add you :D. 

Nah, just give me Jordan Usher as a UDFA since we won't have a 16 pick.  Ya know .... since we gonna trade it.

[Spud2nique]

4 minutes ago, marco102 said:

@Spud2nique you should research this kid. 

Right in the backyard too. Seen a bunch of local kids live but not this one. Last good one I saw was Brandon Clarke who went to my school SJSU.

Lets peep this kid, my first look.

I’m with trading the pick but just in case good lookin out Marco!

[JayBirdHawk]

29 minutes ago, marco102 said:

@JayBirdHawk just wanted to add you :D. 

 

[JeffS17]

I'm cautiously optimistic about this 16th pick.  Everyone has seen the numbers wrt to our cap space, and I think it was @thecampster(?) that has talked about how valuable these mid 1st picks are because you can get solid talent for really cheap rookie deals, which is going to be a necessity to make a title run in the next 4-5 years.  I hope we take someone that's talented and close to being ready, so they can contribute in the rotation next year or at least by 2023 season.

[thecampster]

25 minutes ago, JeffS17 said:

I'm cautiously optimistic about this 16th pick.  Everyone has seen the numbers wrt to our cap space, and I think it was @thecampster(?) that has talked about how valuable these mid 1st picks are because you can get solid talent for really cheap rookie deals, which is going to be a necessity to make a title run in the next 4-5 years.  I hope we take someone that's talented and close to being ready, so they can contribute in the rotation next year or at least by 2023 season.

Usually they are but the number of teams seeing that value this year is low.  Most playoff level teams see vet min contracts as more valuable this year over rookie deals. Exact opposite of last year.

[kelston827]

On 5/30/2022 at 8:28 AM, Diesel said:

 

1. Patrick Baldwin Jr. 

This would get a lot of groans from statheads.  That's because Statheads don't tend to look at mechanics.  This is a coaches son... He has perfect mechanics.  He also has good recognition.   His Feetwork is higher echelon.   If he was to stay another year and come out next year, he would be high lottery (top 3).   That's my bet.  With him, my bet is that (like Jokic) if you give him time to grow, you will not be unhappy with what you get in 2-3 years.  He needs more strength and weight and then he has to learn to walk around with that weight. 

 

Ughh….Baldwin makes Josh Childress look like an aggressive Tasmanian devil. Hard pass.

[thecampster]

On 5/31/2022 at 2:27 PM, JeffS17 said:

I'm cautiously optimistic about this 16th pick.  Everyone has seen the numbers wrt to our cap space, and I think it was @thecampster(?) that has talked about how valuable these mid 1st picks are because you can get solid talent for really cheap rookie deals, which is going to be a necessity to make a title run in the next 4-5 years.  I hope we take someone that's talented and close to being ready, so they can contribute in the rotation next year or at least by 2023 season.

Follow up. See Brooklyn deferring Phillys pick to next year. Bill move considering having Embiid makes them a top 4 contender in the East every year.

[Spud2nique]

On 5/29/2022 at 7:16 PM, Spud2nique said:

Did you all see this trade via BR.

A reach but this Griffin kid is Scottie Barnish from last year.

@Peoriabird I might be willing to flip JC for this kid. He just gets after it better. Lol. I know I said vet but this kid may be the one.

 

 

 

Who here is Joshua Buckhalter?  

Soaring down south.. how bout soaring south then OUTTA HEREEEEE!!!! 
 

https://soaringdownsouth.com/2022/05/31/proposed-trade-sees-atlanta-hawks-acquire-former-94m-f-top-5-pick/amp/

[Bigjmw]

How would yall feel about trading for Christian Wood? Versatile big who can play the 4/5 and average 18 and 10. He is on the block with Paulo on the way with Sengun 1yr in.

He could really space the floor for us, as well as bring more shot creation than John Collins.

[Bigjmw]