NBA Draft Prospect Watch: Stock up, stock down

Stock Up: Grant Williams, Tennessee

Tennessee is a top-five team, and that’s been because of Williams, who looks like he’ll be rising up the draft board as the season progresses. The junior forward has an odd body type — 6-foot-5, 234 pounds — but he’s surprisingly nimble and is one of the most versatile offensive players in the country. Williams routinely drifts between roles for Tennessee — taking guards down into the post on one possession, then coming off a screen into a pick-and-roll on the next. The result — 22 points per game on 64.7 percent shooting with 3.7 assists per game.

Translating to the next level, Williams is likely to be a secondary playmaking wing, relying less on his post skills and more on a developing jumper and his court vision, which is excellent. He also is a skilled team defender and has no problem switching onto guards or some power forwards thanks to his size.

Williams is yet another player in this class without a traditional size and skill set match. But, the NBA is well equipped for these players to succeed. Williams looks able to make that leap, and his versatile skill set could mean there are multiple paths to him succeeding at the next level.