Los Angeles Clippers: Signs point to team taking Robert Williams in 2018 NBA Draft

Many mock 2018 NBA Draft have the Los Angeles Clippers selecting Robert Williams. We take a look at why he may make sense.

In several mocks across the internet, the Los Angeles Clippers are projected to select Texas A&M center Robert Williams. The 6’9″, 240lb big man is only 20 years old and has a lot of upside. We covered him briefly a couple months back, but with CBS, Bleacher Report and Sports Illustrated all projecting him to the Clippers, we should go a little more in depth.

The Basics

For his two years with the Aggies, Williams put up 11.1 points on 59.1% shooting. Williams also showed off some rebounding ability, grabbing 8.7 per game. He also showed a potentially elite shot blocking ability, swatting away 2.5 shots per game.

Williams is also springy and can throw down some athletic dunks. In the Ringer’s coverage of him and his defensive abilities (which I highly recommend reading) they linked this tweet showing him performing not one, but two windmill dunks in the NCAA tournament.

https://twitter.com/marchmadness/status/975831722314031105

Upside

So, what we have in Robert Williams is an uber-athletic center who is raw but shows a lot of defensive prowess. Remind you of anyone currently on the roster? It should.

If DeAndre Jordan does end up leaving the team this summer, Williams would be easy to slot in. He may not be ready for starters minutes, but assuming the team is able to get a center to slot in with the starting group, he could easily be groomed by Doc Rivers as he did with DJ.

Williams wouldn’t have to be a top scoring option on the Clippers as they are currently constructed. His role would be similar to DJ’s. He would mainly be catching lobs and scoring on put-backs.

His real upside comes on the defensive end. As we mentioned above, Williams could be an elite shot blocker. He is a little undersized, but according to NBADraft.net, he possesses a 7’5.5″ wingspan, which helps him defend the rim. The length also helps him with rebounds. Williams can separate himself in this regard from other prospects.

Check out some of his highlights from this season.

Downside

Williams is still very raw, despite two years at college. He does have the semblance of a post game and a baby hook, but will need to work on both in order to succeed in the NBA. He also was only a 54.1% free throw shooter in college. Once again, remind you of anyone? He will ll have to up that number as he’ll often get fouled around the rim.

His biggest knock in school was his inconsistency. Multiple scouts said there were times during the season that he didn’t look engaged. (Seriously, this guy is just younger DeAndre) If he’s going to contribute, Williams needs to have the focus to stay interested in all 82 games of the NBA season.

Williams is definitely a prospect. If they do take Williams, fans may be disappointed to see a lottery guy come in and not produce immediately, especially when our two second rounders did this past season. Be patient. Williams, like DJ, can become an elite defender and core part of the team, but it won’t happen overnight. He could end up being a very solid pick for the Los Angeles Clippers.