Tag: Ziaire Williams

Stanford prospect Ziaire Williams says he got a ‘great feel’ from pre-draft interview with Warriors

At the NBA draft combine, Standford prospect Ziaire Williams says he got a ‘great feel’ during his interview with the Golden State Warriors.

With the Golden State Warriors pair of picks officially set for No. 7 and No. 14 overall, Bob Myers, Steve Kerr and the rest of the scouting staff will begin the final stretch of homework before the draft in July.

At the combine in Chicago, the Warriors front office will have the opportunity to meet with a bevy of prospects along with seeing players workout on the court. The Warriors have already interviewed some potential candidates throughout the pre-draft process, including Florida State’s Scottie Barnes.

Along with Barnes and other prospects, the Warriors have met with Stanford’s Ziaire Williams. According to Anthony Slater of The Athletic, Williams said he got a “great feel” from his recent meeting with Golden State. 

Via @anthonyVslater on Twitter:

During his freshman season at Stanford, the 19-year-old averaged 10.7 points on 37.4% shooting from the floor with 4.6 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game.

In Bryan Kalbrosky’s latest draft big board for For The Win, Williams is ranked as the No. 38 overall prospect in the 2021 class. Cody Taylor of USA Today’s Rookie Wire has Williams being selected by the Houston Rockets with the No. 23 pick in a new post-lottery mock draft.

Via Rookie Wire:

An inconsistent freshman campaign with Stanford has dropped Williams down most draft boards. He started off the season projected by most to be a top-10 pick but he mostly failed to live up to that hype. The talent level is there, and put into the right situation, Williams could begin to show what made him so highly touted. With the Rockets in no hurry to compete now, and with plenty of minutes to go around for younger players, Williams could be an intriguing pick here.

With two picks in the first round, Golden State will continue to host different prospects for interviews and workouts leading up to draft day on July 29.

This post originally appeared on Warriors Wire! Follow us on Facebook! 

NBA Mock Draft 5.0: All 60 picks updated after the 2021 lottery

Learn who we think will get selected with each of the 60 picks in the 2021 NBA draft.

The 2021 NBA draft order is set and the Detroit Pistons have won the lottery, taking home the No. 1 overall pick on Tuesday evening.

Of course, these projections are subject to change even over the next few days, as the NBA’s combine is currently underway in Chicago. Prospects are often able to separate themselves and improve their draft stock if they stand out during five-on-five scrimmages that will take place later this week.

Note that there are several players who are currently “testing the waters” (e.g. Texas Tech’s Terrence Shannon Jr., UCLA’s Johnny Juzang, St. John’s Julian Champagnie and Oral Roberts’ Max Abmas, etc.) that were omitted from this mock. Such players will have until midnight on July 8 to decide if they wish to return to the NCAA and improve their draft stock or remain in this class.

Unfortunately, collegiate national champion Jared Butler was omitted from our mock after news broke earlier today that he is “not permitted to play or practice” in the NBA, per The Athletic’s Shams Charania, unless his heart condition is deemed as cleared.

We will continue to release more mock drafts as we gather more intel, but until then, here is how we project the draft to shake out on July 29.

2021 NBA Draft Big Board 4.0: Top 100 prospects pre-combine and lottery

Now that the early entry list is officially out and combine invitations have been sent out, the 2021 NBA draft class is starting to finalize.

Now that the early entry deadline has passed and combine invitations have been sent out, the 2021 NBA draft class is starting to finalize.

Last year, the NCAA tournament and the combine were both canceled due to the pandemic. That made evaluations much tougher for scouts and front offices around the league. This year, the pre-draft process feels somewhat normal again for top basketball prospects who are set to join the pros.

As a new class of players prepares to turn professional, here is how we would currently rank this class based on what we have seen from them so far, with some of my picks that are higher than other experts have them ranked.

2021 NBA Mock Draft 4.0: Player comparisons and predicting all 60 picks

Who should the Houston Rockets select if they get the No. 1 overall pick in the 2021 NBA draft?

While fans are now enjoying the NBA postseason, there are several teams that didn’t make the playoffs with full attention on the draft.

Now that the regular season and play-in tournament are both complete, the order is set for picks No. 15 to No. 60. However, we will have to wait until the lottery on June 22.

For more details on odds for when each team in the lottery will be on the clock, you can read this post by our own Charles Curtis.

Meanwhile, we also have a pretty clear idea of which prospects have opted to declare for the 2021 NBA draft. But any stragglers still have until May 30 to make their decision in order to be eligible for draft consideration.

Scouts and executives around the league will have an even better feel for this class come June 21, when the combine begins in Chicago.

After that, all those who hired either NCAA-certified agents or do not already have any representation have until July 19 to decide if they wish to remain in the class and forego their collegiate eligibility or return to school.

Until then, however, this is how we predict the two rounds of the 2021 NBA draft will shake out:

2021 NBA Draft Big Board 3.0: Top 100 prospects pre-early entry deadline

As the NBA’s 2020-21 regular season nears its close, the league’s next wave of talent is preparing to take the great leap to become pros.

As the NBA’s 2020-21 regular season nears its close, the league’s next wave of talent is preparing to take the great leap to become pros.

Players have until the end of this month, May 30, to apply for entry into the 2021 NBA draft. They will then have until July 19 to determine whether or not they plan to stay in this class or (unless they hired an agent who does not have NCAA certification) return to school.

This is obviously an incredibly difficult decision and as the majority of early entry candidates have made their intentions public, those who are testing the waters are already weighing their options.

Fortunately, the NBA’s Undergraduate Advisory Committee (UAC) exists to help answer some of those questions.

The advisory committee, which began in 1997, offers feedback to prospects on their potential draft stock. As many prospects are facing pivotal decisions about their future, this kind of intel is incredibly important.

Players like Gonzaga’s Corey Kispert and Baylor’s Jared Butler both went through this process last season, likely were not satisfied with the results and opted to return. Now, after tremendous efforts last season, both are projected first-rounders.

These decisions have tremendous financial implications for these individuals as well. For example, even if Kispert or Butler went with the last pick in the first round in 2020, they would have likely earned a contract worth around $5 million over three years. This year, even if they went outside of the lottery at at No. 15 overall, that would be around $8.5 million.

With that in mind, for the latest version of For The Win’s 2021 NBA draft big board, I’ve provided my evaluation for the top prospects expected to be in the pre-draft process. Players excluded from this exercise were likely because the reporting suggests that they are going back to school.

Note that these decisions were fully based on where I would have each player ranked, not a projection, although various conversations with scouts as well as other talent evaluators around the league have factored into my evaluation.

2021 aggregate NBA mock draft 4.0: Checking in after March Madness

Which future NBA players played the best during March Madness? Who has made the most significant improvements to their draft stock since our last update?

Which future NBA players played the best during March Madness? Which prospects made the most significant improvements to their draft stock?

In order to get a better sense of where all of the prospects stand right now, we compiled mock drafts from ESPN, NBADraft.net, CBS Sports, Bleacher Report, Sports Illustrated, Yahoo, The Athletic, SB Nation and USA TODAY Sports Media Group’s For The Win to see where the prospects rank at the moment.

Since our previous update last month, these are the players who have improved their stock and are trending up on mock drafts: Davion Mitchell (Baylor), Josh Giddey (Adelaide), Chris Duarte (Oregon), Miles McBride (West Virginia), Aaron Henry (Michigan State), Bennedict Mathurin (Arizona), Kessler Edwards (Pepperdine), Trey Murphy (Virginia) and Neemias Queta (Utah State).

Some of the names that did not make the list last time but now appear among the Top 60 include Isaiah Todd (G League Ignite), Johnny Juzang (UCLA), Max Abmas (Oral Roberts), RaiQuan Gray (Florida State), Santi Aldama (Loyola Maryland and Austin Reaves (Oklahoma).

Below are the full rankings based on the latest mock drafts from top analysts and experts.

HoopsHype’s Alberto de Roa contributed research to this report

2021 NBA Mock Draft 3.0: Projecting Houston’s picks after March Madness

Rookie Wire’s Bryan Kalbrosky offers his latest 2021 NBA mock draft, which includes three first-round picks for the Houston Rockets.

With the 2021 NCAA tournament in the rearview mirror, front offices across the league have seen what the best prospects in the 2021 NBA Draft have done on the biggest stage.

With a new champion crowned, fans have seen the first wave of prospects declare early entry for the draft and forego the remainder of their collegiate eligibility. Others, meanwhile, are testing the waters to gain feedback from teams as they decide whether or not to return to college.

Based on the consensus thus far, Rookie Wire’s Bryan Kalbrosky is updating his mock draft for the first time since February. The main difference from the March big board is that this mock also factors in intel, team fit, front office evaluation philosophy and roster construction.

This should act as a barometer for a player’s stock before pre-draft workouts, interviews and the 2021 NBA Draft Combine. As those factors come into focus over the next few months, big changes are possible.

Kalbrosky’s complete mock draft can be viewed at RookieWire. Below, we’ve pulled his insights for the three first-round selections potentially owned by the Houston Rockets. That list includes their own, as well as picks acquired via Portland (lottery protected) and Milwaukee.

This draft order, which factors in trades and pick protections, was pulled from the latest Tankathon update following games on April 12. As a reminder, if Houston does not finish in the top four of the draft lottery, Oklahoma City will swap Miami’s first-round choice for the Houston pick.


Pick No. 1: Cade Cunningham, Houston Rockets

Wing, 6-7, Oklahoma State (Freshman) 

After trading James Harden to the Brooklyn Nets, the Rockets are currently in the midst of an organizational rebuild. They would benefit from adding a culture-setter in Cade Cunningham, who is beyond capable of playing lead guard or playing off-ball alongside John Wall.

There are few people on the planet who have the blend of size, shooting and playmaking that Cunningham provides. Based on the way that collegiate defenses lasered in on him at Oklahoma State, where he was not surrounded by shooters, he may be even more efficient with better assist numbers when he has more spacing in the NBA.

Adding someone who has the unique superstar potential and ridiculously high ceiling that Cunningham offers would give the Rockets the best chance of returning to the playoffs sooner rather than later in their rebuild.

NOTE: This pick is protected 1-4 and will otherwise go to the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Pick No. 22: Cameron Thomas, Houston Rockets (via Portland):

Guard, 6-4, LSU (Freshman)

As the Rockets enter their rebuilding phase, they’re going to need a scoring punch, and you’d be hard-pressed to find one more prolific than LSU’s Cameron Thomas. He joins Trae Young, Markelle Fultz, Michael Beasley and Kevin Durant as the only freshmen to average at least 23 points per game at a high-major school since 1992-93.

Even if there are limitations about how that will translate when he isn’t afforded such a high volume of shots, or what he will bring as a playmaker or on defense, that mark is nothing to ignore.

NOTE: This pick is lottery protected and would go to the Trail Blazers, if Portland misses the 2021 playoffs.

Pick No. 24: Ziaire Williams, Houston Rockets (via Milwaukee)

Wing, 6-8, Stanford (Freshman)

While he did not have a particularly good freshman campaign at Stanford, Ziaire Williams is still someone who passes the eye test with flying colors.

He has an NBA frame at 6-foot-8 and is a much better jump shot than his poor shooting splits would suggest. Williams is not afraid to take a pull-up jumper and he can still find ways to score as a slasher until his jump shot starts falling more often.

Kalbrosky’s complete 2021 NBA mock draft, which also includes projected second-round selections for all picks, can be viewed here.

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2021 NBA Mock Draft 3.0: Latest updates after March Madness

Front offices have seen what some of the best prospects in the 2021 NBA Draft have done on the biggest stage.

Now that the NCAA tournament is in the rearview mirror, front offices have seen what the best prospects in the 2021 NBA Draft have done on the biggest stage.

With a new champion crowned, fans have seen the first wave of prospects declare early entry for the draft and forego the remainder of their collegiate eligibility. Others, meanwhile, are testing the waters to gain feedback from teams around the league as they decide whether or not to return to college.

Based on the general consensus learned thus far, now is a great time to offer an update since we last published a mock draft back in February.

The main difference from the big board that I published last month is that my mock also factors intel, team fit, front office evaluation philosophy and roster construction. For example, there are more international players included here because I’m projecting teams with surplus picks will select draft-and-stash players rather than roster four or five rookies next season.

This should act as a barometer for a player’s stock before pre-draft workouts, interviews and the 2021 NBA Draft Combine. As those factors come into the light over the next few months, expect some potentially significant changes.

This draft order, which factors in trades and pick protections, was pulled from the latest Tankathon update following the games on April 12.

2021 NBA Draft Big Board 2.0: Top prospects playing in March Madness

This includes some names to watch in the men’s tourney.

March Madness is set to begin, which means for college basketball fans, it’s the most wonderful time of the year. But it’s also one of the busiest times for scouts and executives around the NBA.

Last season, the men’s NCAA Tournament was canceled due to COVID-19, which makes the stakes even higher for those involved in this year’s event. It will be a fascinating few weeks of basketball, all unfolding in Indiana, and the games are sure to further illuminate who may be most worth targeting in the 2021 NBA Draft.

But in addition to the spotlight of college basketball fully underway, we have now also seen the entirety of the 2021 G League season. That included the inaugural campaign for the Ignite, a pathway to the NBA for top talents who sought an alternative to the NCAA. Their exciting playoff run taught us more about prospects including Jalen Green and Jonathan Kuminga.

So with those results in mind, and with the college basketball postseason on the horizon, we have ranked the Top 100 prospects most likely set to make the jump to the NBA next season.

Our methodology for the rankings includes conversations with folks around the league, learning the general consensus surrounding a player, as well as a deep dive into stats and game film.

To put everything in perspective, we have also included everyone’s previous ranks from our last update, published on Jan. 22. This helps show whether a player is trending up or trending down and also helps illuminate how much can change in just two months of action.

As the madness begins during the men’s NCAA Tournament, follow along to see how these players are performing, as many will make a case to move up or down once the nets are cut on Apr. 5, 2021.

2021 aggregate NBA mock draft 3.0: Checking in before March Madness

Which future NBA players will be playing during March Madness? Who have been the best players on the inaugural G League Ignite squad?

Which future NBA players will be playing during March Madness? Who have been the best players on the inaugural G League Ignite squad?

These are the kind of questions that many basketball fans are asking right now, especially if their favorite team is projected to have a lottery pick in the 2021 NBA draft.

Now that the NCAA tournament is on the horizon, and as the G League Ignite’s first year nears the end of the regular season, players have started separating themselves as potential top picks.

So in order to get a better sense of where all of the prospects stand right now, we compiled mock drafts from ESPN, NBADraft.net, CBS Sports, Bleacher Report, Sports Illustrated, Yahoo, The Athletic and USA TODAY Sports Media Group’s For The Win to see where the prospects rank at the moment.

Since our last update back in December, these are the players who have improved the most: Kai Jones (Texas), Sharife Cooper (Auburn), Taevion Kinsey (Marshall), Moses Moody (Arkansas), Jalen Suggs (Gonzaga), Davion Mitchell (Baylor), Nah’shon Hyland (VCU) and Corey Kispert (Gonzaga).

Below are the full rankings based on the latest mock drafts from top analysts and experts.

HoopsHype’s Alberto de Roa contributed research to this report