E. Will Appreciation thread!

[Boob-No-More]

Not too worried about the FT%. Small sample size. At Memphis he shot 75.8% from the line on a much larger sample size of 7.5 FTA/G (12th in NCAA Div 1).

BNM

 

[Boob-No-More]

babbitt measured 6'8.75" in shoes and armon measured 6'3.25", looks like ewill is around 6'5.5" or so, hardly a "tweener" at sg

He is very thin, but he can also jump out of the gym. If Travis Outlaw can play "power" forward, I'm sure Elliot Williams can play SG.

Too bad. I wish he was more of a PG, because a future starting backcourt of Williams and Batum would be sick! Perhaps after Gerald is gone, Nic will move back to SF and Elliot can become our SGotF.

BNM

 

[magnifier661]

He is very thin, but he can also jump out of the gym. If Travis Outlaw can play "power" forward, I'm sure Elliot Williams can play SG.

Too bad. I wish he was more of a PG, because a future starting backcourt of Williams and Batum would be sick! Perhaps after Gerald is gone, Nic will move back to SF and Elliot can become our SGotF.

BNM

Can E. Will play PG? How is his court vision? Personally, I think he could be a combo PG type player. But whatevs.

 

[jwhoops11]

I'm surprised nobody has mentioned his improved jumper. Not looking at statistics, but I know that was a big question mark of his coming out of Memphis. Dude has done the work to make himself better and is ultra athletic. His defense looks to be solid, but mostly only in mop up duties, so we'll see. I'd say he's on track to be in the rotation next year, when Jamal moves on. He's got a brighter future then any of the draft picks we've made the last 3 or 4 years.

 

[Mediocre Man]

I haven't looked at shooting stats, but his jumper certainly looks good mechanically

 

[Boob-No-More]

Can E. Will play PG? How is his court vision? Personally, I think he could be a combo PG type player. But whatevs.

I have seen no evidence that he can. Right now he looks for his own shot as the first, second, third and only options. But that's a function of his role. I just don't see someone at his age/level growing into a PG with no previous PG experience/skills. He really needs some experience playing PG in the summer league and D League, but I think I'd rather just see him continue to develop as a SG against NBA level competition than get sent down to the D League.

BNM

 

[Mediocre Man]

I have seen no evidence that he can. Right now he looks for his own shot as the first, second, third and only options. But that's a function of his role. I just don't see someone at his age/level growing into a PG with no previous PG experience/skills. He really needs some experience playing PG in the summer league and D League, but I think I'd rather just see him continue to develop as a SG against NBA level competition than get sent down to the D League.

BNM

I agree. that's why I'd love to see him with the starters for a spell to see if he was still a bit of a chucker, or could play within an offense

 

[magnifier661]

I have seen no evidence that he can. Right now he looks for his own shot as the first, second, third and only options. But that's a function of his role. I just don't see someone at his age/level growing into a PG with no previous PG experience/skills. He really needs some experience playing PG in the summer league and D League, but I think I'd rather just see him continue to develop as a SG against NBA level competition than get sent down to the D League.

BNM

Well if Batum improves his handling like he has this summer; it could be possible he plays point. He's quick enough to guard them. E. Will could work his way into the starting SG in a couple years.

 

[THE HCP]

I haven't looked at shooting stats, but his jumper certainly looks good mechanically

What do you know about shooting mechanics? You work at a Taco Canana drive-thru!

 

[Boob-No-More]

I haven't looked at shooting stats, but his jumper certainly looks good mechanically

Yep, with a quick, high release. He has that Travis Outlaw ability to get his shot off against anyone, but with better mechanics and hopefully a better brain.

BNM

 

[BLAZER PROPHET]

Can E. Will play PG? How is his court vision? Personally, I think he could be a combo PG type player. But whatevs.

The problem with combo guards playing PG is that they rarely master the pick & roll, which a staple in the NBA.

As to being an undersized SG, it's certainly not optimal and I think will prevent him from being a starter.

 

[magnifier661]

The problem with combo guards playing PG is that they rarely master the pick & roll, which a staple in the NBA.

Uggg you are right. I flip out when I see horrible pick and roll plays! It drives me crazy!

 

[Mediocre Man]

What do you know about shooting mechanics? You work at a Taco Canana drive-thru!

That's not what Mrs HCP means when she says she lets me taste her taco

 

[THE HCP]

HAHA!

 

[Nikolokolus]

Love his highlights, but he's yet to show he can produce in anything other than garbage time.

Based on all of the rest of your basketball opinions I'm guessing it's safe to say Williams has a bright future in the league ...

 

[THE HCP]

Nik..... what do you think about EW? I think he can be a spark plug type off the bench, but that is about it.

 

[Nikolokolus]

The problem with combo guards playing PG is that they rarely master the pick & roll, which a staple in the NBA.

As to being an undersized SG, it's certainly not optimal and I think will prevent him from being a starter.

If he's a legit 6'5" with a long wingspan then he's not actually an undersized shooting guard or a combo guard at all.

 

[Mediocre Man]

Nik..... what do you think about EW? I think he can be a spark plug type off the bench, but that is about it.

Obviously not Nik, but I'd like to see him with the starters before making that decision. He's probably better overall than Bayless, although it's close, and Bayless as a starter is a damn good basketball player

 

[Mediocre Man]

If he's a legit 6'5" with a long wingspan then he's not actually an undersized shooting guard or a combo guard at all.

I looked for an official measurement, but I couldn't find one on draft express
I think he is 6'4" though

 

[3RA1N1AC]

armon is measured at 6'3.25" in shoes, and ewill clearly has a couple inches on him (if you know what i mean)

 

[Nikolokolus]

Nik..... what do you think about EW? I think he can be a spark plug type off the bench, but that is about it.

I like him ... maybe a lot.

This team currently has a lot of "below the rim" types playing at guard (Wesley in particular with a really limited handle). If Eliot can guard two positions (the one and the two), consistently knock down a perimeter shot and show some ability to drive and finish, there's no reason to think that he can't be a starting 2 guard with some development time. This ridiculous idea that he can be a point guard is wish-casting however. His only hope as a starter is if he can play at the two and not get overwhelmed at that spot defensively ... if he can't guard starting twos then you're right, his ceiling is an off-the-bench sparkplug type.

 

[THE HCP]

Man, I loved Bayless!

 

[Mediocre Man]

Man, I loved Bayless!

I'm still mad at them for trading him

 

[THE HCP]

Let me just say, that a lot of players and coaches weren't so sad to see him go.

 

[BoBoBREWSKI]

Let me just say, that a lot of players and coaches weren't so sad to see him go.

I heard he was very very arrogant and not well liked.

 

[Eastoff]

I heard he was very very arrogant and not well liked.

this seems releveant and still in my clipboard.

 

[Nikolokolus]

I didn't hate Bayless, I just realized at some point that he was never going to be a really good starting point guard because of his score first mentality. That's not to say he's selfish, it's that he is/was at his best when they wound him up and pointed him at the hoop. When he was asked to defer and be primarily a setup man he didn't have the elite level passing skills nor the essential passion for the job to ever be anything other than "passable" as a point.

Bottom line: Bayless wasn't happy with his situation, he asked for a trade and the Blazers managed to get a first round pick for him which they were then able to convert into Gerald Wallace. Far better than the alternative which was potentially a lot of locker room dissent, completely ruining his value and getting even less for him when the situation inevitably would have boiled over.

 

[THE HCP]

I heard he was very very arrogant and not well liked.

So basically Nikalokalopilokalis is S2's version of Bayless?

 

[Nikolokolus]

So basically Nikalokalopilokalis is S2's version of Bayless?

I don't have the hops.

 

[BlazerCaravan]

I don't have the hops.

The only way most of us here have any hops in us is after our third IPA.