Trevion Williams: 2022 NBA Draft Scouting Report

Despite being 6'10", Williams is the best passer in this draft class. Will that alone get him drafted?

Here’s a surprise statement to the common NBA fan: the best passer in this year’s draft class is a 6’10” big man who spent 55% of the time posting up.

That’s right, Purdue’s Trevion Williams is simultaneously back-to-the-basket reliant and an elite passer. The Boilermakers ran offense through Williams at a higher rate than through top-five prospect Jaden Ivey. Williams may have come off the bench for Purdue but he was an integral part of their offense.

Everything about his game stylistically seems outdated. From the countless post-up possessions to the lack of a jumper on offense, the less-than-stellar physical measurements to the lack of shot blocking on defense, Trevion is not your typical prospect. But for the right team — one hoping to lean into offense and let their guards and wings roam as off-ball cutters — Trevion could be a massive steal, a cheat code that takes their offense to new heights and won’t cost them a top-25 pick to do so.

We can already hear the questions now: if Trevion plays with his back to the basket so much, does his passing or role really translate to the NBA?

For as old school as Williams’ game was at Purdue, there’s much more face-up upside than he gets credit for. Whether it’s out of the short roll when paired with a great guard or facilitating above the break/ on the elbows like so many offenses in the NBA call for, Trevion’s game is a much neater translation on offense than he gets credit for. The problem is that his best scoring output comes on the blocks, so he is typecast as a facilitator only when playing atop the key.

We’d make the argument that he’s so good of a passer that it doesn’t matter. Cross-court reads, tremendous feel for double-teams or defensive breakdowns, crisp bounce passes or lobs over the top, Trevion has every pass in his bag. We’re also insanely intrigued by his face-up driving, whether as a scorer or a facilitator. Very few thick-bodied 6’10” players have the handling package he’s already shown off, nor the touch around the basket to score.

He’s truly a unique, one-of-a-kind prospect whose highlights and offensive package are dazzling:

What holds Williams back from being a first-round prospect is essentially what nearly every NBA team needs and looks for from their centers: rim protection. Trevion struggles here and was part of an abysmal pick-and-roll defense at Purdue, one that ultimately did their season in. Projecting him to the NBA becomes challenging when trying to assign blame on Williams, on the Boilermaker guards, or on the scheme.