Charlotte Hornets to workout projected lottery pick Robert Williams
The Charlotte Hornets are expected to bring in Texas A&M big man Robert Williams for a pre-draft workout.
According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, Robert Williams will workout for the Charlotte Hornets prior to the 2018 NBA Draft. The Chicago Bulls and the New York Knicks will also host the Texas A&M big man for a pre-draft workout. Robert is expected to be a lottery pick this year.
Woj projects Williams to fall anywhere from 7th to 13th in the upcoming draft. The Hornets currently hold the No. 11 pick in the first round of this year’s draft. NBADraft.net has the Denver Nuggets selecting Robert at No. 14 and compares him to Stromile Swift.
Williams played two years in college at Texas A&M and nearly averaged a double-double his sophomore campaign. He put up 10.4 points per game, 9.2 rebounds, 2.6 blocks and 1.4 assists in 25.6 minutes. Robert also managed to shoot 63.2% from the field and 47.1% from the free throw line.
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He was fourth on the Aggies in scoring, first in rebounds, first in blocks and first in field goal percentage. Williams led the entire Southeastern Conference in defensive rebounds, blocks, total rebounds per game, defensive rebound percentage, total rebound percentage, defensive rating, defensive box plus/minus and box plus/minus.
Robert does most of his damage on the defensive end of the court but his athleticism, strength and length also make him a good inside scorer and rebounder. The Louisiana native will need to improve and expand his offensive skill set in order to excel at the NBA level.
The 20-year old measured in at 6’9″ and 237 pounds with a 7’4″ wingspan. (TheStepien.com) He has tremendous upside and his size/length make him an exciting prospect. It’s unlikely that he lands in the top-10 but if he impresses during his team workouts, he could improve his chances of moving up a few spots.
With so many highly ranked big men in this draft class like DeAndre Ayton, Marvin Bagley, Mo Bamba, Jaren Jackson Jr. and Wendell Carter, it’s easy to overlook Williams.
Prairie View head coach Byron Smith compared the big man to former NBA All-Star Antonio McDyess.
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If Mitch Kupchak and Michael Jordan want to draft a big man for the future, Robert Williams may be the right selection with the 11th overall pick. There are a number of players on the team’s radar and the Charlotte Hornets have already met with Mikal Bridges and Lonnie Walker IV who are projected lottery picks as well.