17. Ziaire Williams, F, Stanford
Measurables: 6-foot-8, 185 pounds, 6-foot-10.5 wingspan
Class: Freshman
Age: 19
Mike’s Ranking: 19
Evan’s Ranking: 14
Ziaire Williams is a lanky forward who mirrors New Orleans Pelicans guard Brandon Ingram in multiple ways, especially on the offensive end of the floor with his scoring ability.
He’s got a smooth handle to create off of high screens, can really make some difficult shots off of the bounce, and even though he only hit 29 percent of his three-point attempts at Standford this past season, Williams has shown promising shooting potential.
The floor could be undoubtedly low for Williams if he doesn’t add some mass to his lanky frame in the coming years as a pro, and if his decision-making as a player doesn’t improve. Defensively there’s some concern too with his upside, but I believe he has the length and effort on that end of the floor to eventually make an impact on some level in the NBA.