2019 NBA Mock Draft: The Boston Celtics clean up

Though we decided to take a break from Duke basketball this week to watch some of the other top prospects, Williamson didn’t take a break from dominating. The phenom went for 27 points and 12 rebounds last Tuesday in a double-digit comeback against Louisville that ultimately helped Duke claim the No. 1 ranking in the country, then followed that performance up with 32 points and six rebounds on Saturday night against North Carolina State. While his playmaking is not as consistently showing up in the box score as it did early in the year, Duke hasn’t missed a beat and Williamson is a massive reason why in all areas of the game.

Let’s take a look at the playmaking, though. Williamson was the primary initiator for most of the early part of the year for the Blue Devils, especially early in conference play as both Tre Jones and Cam Reddish missed time. As Jones got more comfortable and R.J. Barrett has slowly started to play more within himself, the pecking order for Duke has solidified. Jones is the igniter in transition and starts off most halfcourt sets, with Barrett as the attacker who has a green light all the time. Reddish spaces the floor and attacks broken-down defenses, while Williamson is a ramrod the moment he gets the ball and while playing with bench units makes plays from the post. It’s an embarrassment of riches that allows Williamson to actually play off the ball and be used creatively, showcasing his wide variety of skills.

However, it’s unlikely Williamson will be able to play this way in the NBA. That’s so damn exciting. This is a guy who will get to adapt and improve over the course of his career because of how talented he is. Case in point: Williamson would be unimaginably fun either as the third banana alongside Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving or soaking up the spotlight in New York himself.