The story of Derrick Williams is that of many other players, but with some delayed chapter. Born in California, in 1991 (31 years old), he persistently tried his luck in the NBA before heading to the Old Continent. After being a reference in the wildcats from the University of Arizona, was selected number 2 in the 2011 draft, one with a lot of name but questionable selections: Kyrie Irving was number 1, but other great promises who later succeeded to a greater or lesser extent were relegated to very backward positions for post-proven talent: Jonas Valanciunas was number 5, but Kemba Walker was relegated to 9, Klay Thompson to 11, Kawhi Leonard to 15, Nikola Vucevic to 16 and Jimmy Butler to 30. Names far removed from some of the top positions that were taken by names such as Enes Kanter (3), Tristan Thompson (4), Jan Vesely (6), Bisack Biyombo (7), Brandon Knicght (8)or Williams himself.
It is possible that being in a draft in which many stars appeared in the furthest positions, hurt those who had come out ahead. But the reality is that Derrick Williams could not adapt to the NBA: explosive and very given to copy highlights with spectacular dunks, his forward or power forward framing was always a problem, as well as his bad percentages in the triple (which has improved in Europe) or his defensive indolence. Rick Adelman seemed like the ideal coach for a promising youngster at the start of professionalism, but his 12 points per game in his second season was his all-time high and he never averaged double figures again. From the Timberwolves, where he coincided with Ricky Rubio and Kevin Love, he jumped to the Kings, Knicks, Heat, Cavs and even played 2 games with the Lakers. He mutated into transfer meat until the market ran out. And that’s when he decided to try his luck in the Euroleague.
The rarity of seeing such a top draft pick in Europe: the string of North American players who try their luck in the EuroLeague are rarely unsuccessful prospects. They fell by the wayside, they were chosen in positions very far from the draft or they did not even enter the same one.. But Williams has known how to reinvent himself, become strong, mentally recover and become a benchmark in the highest continental competition. His has cost him: he passed irregularly through Bayern, Fenerbahçe and Valencia. And it has been at Panathinaikos where he has definitely found his place: 15.7 points and 4.9 rebounds this season, with brilliant performances. The 28 points against Monaco, 26 against Virtus or 25 against Zalgiris are good examples of this. In the first of these exhibitions, he also established a record in the Euroleague, scoring 24 goals in a row.. And he’s scored 10 or more points in 8 of his 11 games.
Williams plays 31 minutes on average, has more than 16 points in scoring and Panathinaikos has a 5-6 record, but it is clearly improving: 3 consecutive EuroLeague wins, 4 in the last 5 games. They lost the derby in the Greek League against Olympiacos by just two points (68-66) and the signing of Dwayne Bacon has given them wings and confidence. With the EuroLeague so tight, they have a good chance of sneaking into the top 8 if they continue their upward trend.. And if Derrick Williams, finally happy playing basketball, he continues at his usual good level.
In an interview to eurohoops, the forward has reviewed the differences between Europe and the NBA, a very hackneyed topic that is very common to see in the North American League every time its great stars return to the competition after playing a FIBA tournament. “You have all these articles that come out where Luka or Giannis say that it is more difficult to score in Europe. It is. It’s more physical. You have fewer spaces. You can play in the zone and with different types of approaches. The NBA is more based on running and shooting. You have to be very skilled to play at this level. You have to be multidimensional. Now you have very tall guys shooting 3-pointers and playing the post. Escorts that shoot from anywhere. It is a very versatile type of game”.
The Panathinaikos star says he quickly adapted to the game when he arrived in Europe, but it’s very different. And that it’s the place to show if you can really play basketball. “I have been able to show different aspects of my game each season”, he assures. And he also looks to the NBA, especially its older free agents. There we find Carmelo Anthony, Rajon Rondo, Lou Williams or DeMarcus Cousins, who are without a team but have not announced their retirement. And Derrick Williams is clear that his influence would be brutal in the Euroleague. “What would you tell them? That they come to Panathinaikos”, assures the player, who coincided with Carmelo, without going any further, in the Knicks.
The possibility is still remote. Players of that level, accustomed to receiving million-dollar contracts, do not usually change their cities to try an adventure on the other side of the Atlantic. What’s more, many opt for withdrawal beforehand. The case of Dwight Howard, who went to Taiwan in exchange for 1 million dollars, is an exception. Of course, Williams urges them to take the step and also talks about the opposite possibility: that Euroleague players go to the NBA. There is the eternal possibility of Vasilije Micic, but he has also mentioned others like Will Clyburn, Mike James and Moustapha Fall. “I know if they went to the NBA they could do great things.”. The Micic issue has been talked about a lot, but the point guard is still linked to Efes. Of the rest of those mentioned we already know their quality. Of course, the option is more plausible in this case than the other way around, with stars that, without light, go from the United States to Europe. Of course, they have the invitation. Derrick Williams’s, specifically.
