Sanford standout forward Ziaire Williams has declared for the 2021 NBA Draft and in his statement indicated that he would not return to college basketball. The freshman entered into college basketball expecting to be a “one and done” prospect. He will now head to the next level and begin his NBA career. His year at Stanford wasn’t exactly what he wanted, but he showed flashes of why he was such a highly desired basketball prospect.
Stanford’s Ziaire Williams declares for the NBA Draft. https://t.co/rFppZGb3NS
— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanHoops) March 31, 2021
The freshman forward is still expected to be a lottery selection in the 2021 NBA Draft. He showed several flashes of exactly why he could be a talented player in the NBA. Williams should be a top ten selection but could fall to 11 or 12 if things work out poorly for him. Falling outside of the lottery seems unlikely for the forward. While at Stanford he averaged 10.7 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 2.2 assists per game this past season. He did have a troubling field goal percentage at 37.4 percent and a concerning 29.1 percent from beyond the arc. The shooting percentages need to improve, but that is something that he could work on at the NBA level.
Ziaire Williams is a talented prospect and his skillset should help him thrive at the next level. Like most rookies, he will need some time to learn from mistakes and the right environment to grow into his potential. His athletic ability will help keep him in the NBA, but he will need to fine-tune some skills to get better at the next level of basketball. The team that drafts him will be critical to his development and progression as a prospect. Williams is headed to the NBA and begins the final steps of a lifelong journey.
