Round 2 - Pick 38 - Portland Trailblazer

[GreenBear]

With the 38th overall pick, the Blazers select Ross Williams.

Pros:
+ Good vision
+ Great ball handler
+ Nice outside shot
+ Plus overall defender
+ High IQ

Cons:
- Less effective inside the arc
- Not very effective on the glass
- Not a leading scorer type
- Some durability questions

With their second (and last) pick of the draft, the Blazers selected a small guard (5'10, 161) in the form of Ross Williams. Given his size, there are a number of things that shouldn't surprise you about Williams' game. He's always going to struggle for loose balls, and he only sparingly shoots inside the arc. But Williams is a much better defender than you'd think he'd be able to be. He has a very strong base and uses his low center of gravity to keep bigger guards from bullying him and pushing him around. In fact, he's a rock solid defender all-around. He doesn't have the fastest hands, but he does an excellent job using his intelligence to anticipate passes and jump lanes. He also has great timing to get the occasional block whilst also avoiding getting into too much foul trouble.

As a prospect, Williams is quite well-rounded and polished. He doesn't have the ceiling that others drafted before him have, but the Blazers know exactly what they can expect from Williams as a player. He's a pass-first guard whose true strength is orchestrating the offense. Williams is a gifted passer that will limit bad turnovers. He has a nice touch from deep, and while he'd prefer to pass, he's not afraid to call his own number if the defense is cheating. The Blazers are optimistic he can lead a second unit for a long time.

[hardenwithnod]

Another target gone. Looks like a good floor general that can shoot on slightly lower volume, and plays rock solid defense.

[KW]

Williams was the actual reason I looked to trade in, and then I realized Manek was slipping and I wanted to prioritize a forward. Nice pick here

[KW]

While being 5'10 comes with its natural issues, Williams is a pretty solid PG that I'm surprised lasted this long. Quality floor general who should be a steady hand in pretty much all areas of the game. He's better than he has any business being defensively, and will score occasionally. But in general, he's a pass-first guy, basically perfect for a Blazers team that already has so much scoring and could benefit from a connector like Williams.

[GreenBear]

Updated with article.