Improving on the defensive end of the floor is a priority for the Nuggets this offseason. In the last four years, they’ve never finished better than 24th in defensive efficiency. They’re hoping to snap a five-season playoff drought by going from sieves to serviceable. On Wednesday, Denver got an up-close look at a player who could conceivably help them do that: Texas A&M’s Robert Williams.
The 6-foot-10, 241-pound big man was a shot-blocking machine in two seasons with the Aggies. He swatted 2.5 shots per game as a freshman and 2.6 per game as a sophomore. Williams was named Co-SEC Defensive Player of the Year in 2018 after winning the award outright as a freshman.
“It’s just something I take pride in,” said Williams, who Denver hosted for a solo workout. “I love defense first. I love blocking shots. I love rebounding. I feel like that’s my job.”
Williams’s 7-foot-5 wingspan and 40-inch vertical make him an intimidating presence inside. He sends shots back to earth so hard sometimes you think the basketball might dent the hardwood.
The Nuggets need as much rim protection as they can get next to Nikola Jokic, whose many basketball gifts don’t include leaping. The only problem is that Denver already has so many resources committed to big men.
Jokic and Paul Millsap eat up most of the minutes at center at power forward. Last season, Trey Lyles and Mason Plumlee got most of the leftovers. Darrell Arthur made on-court contributions here and there, but he mostly waived towels and offered advice. Kenneth Faried couldn’t even get on the floor by season’s end.
The Nuggets have more than $90 committed to those six guys next season assuming they offer Jokic a max deal. Even if they finally pull the trigger on a Faried trade, they’ve still got last year’s first-round pick, power forward Tyler Lydon, waiting for his chance.
It’s difficult to imagine Williams getting minutes as a rookie in Denver unless the Nuggets did some serious roster rejiggering, but there’s no denying that he has an interesting skill set. The Oil City, Lousiana, native has gone from small-town kid to a potential lottery pick in two years because of his freakish combination of size and athleticism.
At Texas A&M, Williams started games alongside 6-foot-10 center Tyler Davis. Williams said he enjoyed playing in that two-big lineup, but if he’s asked to play center in the NBA next to a small-ball four he’s open to it.
“I feel like it will be an advantage either way it goes,” Williams said. ” I’d definitely play with smaller players who distribute the ball. At A&M we had a lack of distributors. Playing with smaller players who are better passers would be (good).”
In a league where 6-foot-7 Draymond Green spends considerable time at center, Williams’ best role might be as a rim-running five. Williams gets off the ground quickly for someone his size. His offensive game outside of that, though, is a work in progress. Williams missed all 12 three-pointers he attempted last season. The 20-year-old knows that’s an area he needs to improve in.
“This summer I’ve been working on my shot a lot, stepping back to the mid-range and from three,” he said. “I feel like it’s getting way better.”
There’s still a lot to work on, but Williams has done enough to hear his name called in the first round next week. He went 15th to the Wizards in ESPN’s most recent mock draft. The idea of putting a shot blocker like him next to Jokic is interesting. But adding him to Denver’s roster only further complicates what was one of its biggest issues last season: too many bigs, not enough minutes to go around.
