Senior center Trevion Williams was vital to the Purdue Boilermakers’ 2021-22 season, culminating in a Sweet Sixteen run. After withdrawing from the 2021 NBA draft, the 21-year-old big man hopes to land with the right team in 2022.
Trevion Williams 2022 NBA Draft Profile
College Career
A four-star recruit coming out of Henry Ford Academy in Michigan, Williams, a Chicago native, committed to Purdue in July of 2017. He chose the Boilermakers over offers from Big Ten rivals Michigan State and Illinois. While he didn’t play much in his freshman season, Williams proved that he had what it takes to compete at the highest levels. Williams arrived on campus at over 300 pounds but quickly dropped 50 of those by December of his rookie season. Once given solid playing time in January, he did not disappoint. His brightest moment came in a tough loss to Michigan, when Williams scored 36 points and grabbed 20 rebounds. He was the first Boilermaker to achieve this stat line in almost 50 years.
Williams led Purdue in scoring and rebounding as a sophomore, averaging 11.5 points and 7.6 rebounds per game. Additionally, his 104 offensive rebounds that season was good for second-most in program history. In his junior year, Williams came into his own, establishing career highs in nearly every statistic. His 15.5 points and 9.1 rebounds per game helped to earn him First-Team All-Big Ten honors from the coaches, while the media voted Williams into the second team. As mentioned, Williams declared for the 2021 NBA draft before deciding to return for his senior season.
His senior season found Williams coming off of the bench once again for Purdue. Losing an average of five minutes per game this season, he still posted solid numbers with 12 points and 7.4 rebounds per game. Williams also improved his passing in his senior season, upping his assist averages to three a game. Despite the slight drop in numbers, Williams was named the Big Ten’s Sixth Man of the Year award and made the All-Big Ten third team.
Strengths
Williams’ biggest strength is his ability to clean the offensive glass. Although his numbers dipped in this area last year, he averages nearly three offensive rebounds a game, which is huge to any offensive attack. He works hard in the paint, tipping rebounds up to himself and sticking with missed shots for tip-in opportunities. Williams has a nice touch near the rim to accommodate his natural strength.
The most intriguing piece of William’s game is his passing ability out of the post. The big man is not only proficient here, but prolific. Any highlight reel of his is filled with incredible no-look, behind the back, and cross-court passes. Williams averaged three assists per game last year and six per 40 minutes, which is impressive, to say the least. This skill will translate well at the next level, and the flashy passes will make him a lot of fun to watch.
Weaknesses
While Williams was a decent shot blocker at the college level, his defense in the post will need to improve for him to contribute in the league. Williams is not an athletic big, limiting his impact on the defensive end as a rim protector. He has some issues with his timing when contesting shots, which can be improved by coaching. Another defensive improvement that Williams’ future coaches will work with him on will be his action in the pick and roll. He often struggled in these scenarios at Purdue, failing to drop in time, resulting in backdoor layups and lob passes over the top. His aforementioned athletic limitations prevent Williams from being able to close out and recover in time to make up for this, so he will have to improve this at practice.
Offensively, Williams won’t be a huge threat initially, but the potential for big numbers is there. He has improved his three-point shooting but still has a lot of work to do to be a consistent scorer from range. His free throw percentage is horrible, but again, he is trending in the right direction. Williams shot 59.7% from the charity stripe in his senior season. For a guy averaging 10 freebies a game, that is a lot of points that are being left on the table. Williams has shown a bit of a handle at times, blowing past other bigs from the foul line extended with a quick crossover. This may not be as effective in the league, but he will certainly catch a few opponents off guard with it.
NBA Player Comparison
The combination of rebounding and passing has Williams reminding me of David West. The 15-year veteran was a savvy rebounder and playmaker from the forward position. At 6’9”, he is a bit shorter than Williams and came into the league with better lateral mobility. They are equally impressive in starting a fast break from a defensive rebound, launching deep balls with accuracy. The 18th pick of the 2003 draft, West was deadly from the mid-range and improved his three-point shooting over time. If Williams can do the same, he could enjoy an equally lengthy NBA tenure.
2022 NBA Draft Projection
William’s stock may have been higher coming into the 2021 draft, but he has the ability to be a steal should he fall into the right situation. He looks to be a mid to late second-round pick.
