It is unlikely that T.J. Williams will be the Charlotte Hornets’ third point guard next season but he will provide competition in training camp.
The Charlotte Hornets have officially signed T.J. Williams to a training camp deal. (NBA.com) It is unlikely that he will make the final 15-man regular season roster for the team but the point guard helps fill one of their open spots. If nothing else, he will push Kemba Walker and Michael Carter-Williams.
The training camp deal means that T.J. will practice with the Hornets during camp and probably appear in a couple preseason games but he will likely be cut before the start of the regular season. In that case, there is a good chance that he could end up with the Greensboro Swarm in the G-League if he chooses to go that route. Although, if he does manage to impress the team enough, he could very well earn a roster spot.
Williams went undrafted in 2017 after an impressive four years at Northeastern University. The 22-year old joined the Cleveland Cavaliers for the Las Vegas Summer League where he appeared in five games for them. He managed to put up 12.2 points per game, 2.4 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.6 steals while shooting 34.5% from the field.
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While in college, T.J. was a star for the Huskies. He averaged 21.4 PPG, 5.3 APG, 4.7 RPG and 1.0 SPG. He shot much better while at Northeastern with splits of 46.3% FG, 33.3% 3P and 76.2% FT. He led his team in scoring and assists while also being second in rebounding despite only standing 6’3.
Those numbers were good enough to earn him an AP Honorable Mention All-American bid (2017) and to be named the CAA Player of the Year. It’s worth noting that he averaged 38.1 minutes per game which was second among all Division 1 basketball players.
He has good size at the point guard spot with a 6’8 wingspan and an 8’3 standing reach. Williams will now join Kemba Walker, Michael Carter-Williams and Marcus Paige (two-way deal) as the Hornets’ point guards under contract. Although, Rick Bonnell mentioned that Charlotte still plans to sign a third veteran PG before training camp begins.
While T.J. can be a playmaker and hit the glass, he is a score first player. If he can show that he’s able to run an offense at the NBA level and be an efficient scorer, he could earn a starting role in the G-League for next season.
Next: Can Charlotte win a playoff series this season?
Williams’ signing was announced with Isaiah Hicks as both were signed to training camp deals by the Charlotte Hornets. T.J. now joins J.J. Barea as the only two players from Northeastern currently in the NBA.