Ziaire Williams had lots of highs and lows as a freshman, playing an awkward season in the Covid era. As a freshman at Stanford, Williams averaged 10.7 PPG, 4.6 RPG, 2.2 APG, 1 SPG, 0.6 BPG, and 3 TOPG on shooting splits of 37/29/80. Below is his full scouting report:
Name: Ziaire Williams
Height/Weight: 6’10 / 188
Wingspan/ standing reach: 6’10 ¼ / 8’10 ½
Hand size: 9
Position: SF
College/ country: Stanford
Tools: Shot creation, size, athleticism
Pros:
- Shooting upside with good touch
- Plus athleticism
- Capable ball-handler with space creating moves
- Good P&R passer with good vision and ability to see over defenses
- Excellent size for a wing
- Potential to be an impact defender in terms of closeouts
- Able to self-create and hit stepbacks from any angle
Cons:
- Needs to add weight
- Must become more disciplined defensively
- Mediocre wingspan relative to height
- Must learn to stop making avoidable mistakes
- Inconsistent shooting form
- Struggled to shoot over closeouts
- Needs to learn the defensive side of the ball more as a team defender
- Very streaky in college
Overall:
Ziaire Williams is a tall shot creator with upside to be a 3 level scorer while also creating for others. While Williams has shown flashes of shot-making and getting hot, he has equally opposite negative streaks, which emphasizes how important it is for him to become more consistent in order to put his entire arsenal all together to unlock his star upside. Williams has a tight, quick handle that he can use to deceive defenders and create space, but he needs to become more consistent of a shooter and learn to shoot over contests in order to fully unlock his shot creating upside. As a passer, Williams has good vision, but he struggles making simple passes at times and needs to become a much better decision maker with the ball in his hands. He fumbles simple plays far too often, which will be a crucial area to improve as he develops. As Williams puts on weight, he should become a better finisher at the rim, which will help fully unlock his potential. As a defender, Williams’ physical tools are promising, but his defensive feel for the game is weak. He lacks discipline in many facets, both on and off-ball, and his rotations can often be costly to the team defense. Williams needs to go to a team that can be patient with his development in order to unlock his two-way upside.
Similar to: Louis King, Cam Reddish
Projected draft range: 8-33
Expected role: Shot creating wing
Unplayable if: Jump shot doesn’t translate and his lack of defense makes him easily exploitable.
Exceeds expectations if: Jump shot translates and he becomes more consistent/shakes the raw stage of his career.
Shot chart:
