13
Ziaire Williams Freshman, Forward, Stanford
10.7 points, 4.6 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 0.9 steals, 0.6 blocks, 37% fg, 29% 3pt, 28 mpg
One of the more disappointing freshmen this year, Ziaire Williams will likely find himself selected in the top-twenty purely for his talent. Williams was a big-time recruit out of high school and was projected by many pre-season mock drafts to be a borderline top-five pick. After struggling in his freshman season at Stanford, someone will have to roll the dice on the 6-foot-8 wing.
Williams has a jumper that looks like it can be worked with, but he was wildly inefficient during his time in the NCAA. He showed flashes of playmaking and volume scoring at times, but he couldn’t string together a consistent stretch of basketball. Indiana had a down year and doesn’t have any clear needs, so taking a gamble on a high-ceiling wing would make sense. In fact, Williams drew some comparisons to Paul George coming out of high school.
14
Franz Wagner Sophomore, Guard, Michigan
12.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.3 steals, 1.0 blocks, 48% fg, 34% 3pt, 32 mpg
Others are a lot higher on Franz Wagner than me, but it appears that he is going to be a borderline lottery pick this year. Wagner is a very well-rounded player who can do a bit of everything. Standing at 6-foot-9 inches tall, Wagner is monstrous for a guard and uses his size well to defend and rebound. His three-point shot is not necessarily elite, but he has improved in college and could very well do so in the NBA.
Truthfully, no one knows what San Antonio is going to look like for the 2021-2022 season, but for lack of a better term this is an incredibly ‘Spurs’ pick. Experienced college players who play team basketball and play multiple positions are something Coach Pop has always looked for in players, and there is no reason to believe he is going to stray from this philosophy, for better or worse.