Arkansas Razorbacks big man Jaylin Williams is one of the more intriguing big men in the draft, and arguably the best passer at his position.
Williams, who is still just 19 years old and measured at 6’10” in shoes (with massive hands) at the 2022 NBA Draft Combine, has advanced playmaking instincts in the short roll and on dribble handoffs. It is especially impressive when considering his age, size, and usage rate.
As an underclassman who sets fantastic screens and makes the right hustle plays, the big man also had an elite impact on winning while at Arkansas.
As we saw during the surprising Arkansas upset victory over Gonzaga in the NCAA tournament, Williams is willing to put his body on the line if it helps his team. He averaged 1.8 charges drawn per 40 minutes, according to CBB Analytics, the most among all D-I players who logged at least 700 minutes last season.
Although there is plenty of room to improve his efficiency when shooting from beyond the arc and finishing at the rim, Williams projects well due to his ability to read rotations on both ends of the floor.
All things considered, it is easy to imagine Williams playing a role in the frontcourt at the next level. The prospect spoke to For The Win about exactly that, including how his game will translate to the NBA, and plenty more.
This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.
Nelson Chenault-USA TODAY Sports
Jaylin Williams: My older siblings played basketball and my dad was an athlete. He played everything. My mom played basketball, too. I grew up watching my brothers and my sister play. We played in the backyard on a plastic backboard on concrete with outside basketballs. My dad taught me how to be in the right positions. My dad worked with me from a young age. We would come back from the Boys and Girls Club and he would record the game and show me how I could have done something different. Even still in college, he was doing that. He sends me clips and shows me what I could have done better. It just made me love the game of basketball. I like winning, and that made my love for the game even stronger.
(Photo by James Gilbert/Getty Images)
Williams: Every day! I shouldn’t say this, but in college, I would watch film in class. [Laughs] But on the way back from games, if I couldn’t get film yet, I would study the box score. I’m always watching the games. I always had to watch the game at least one time before I went to sleep just to see what I could have done better and to see what the team could have done better. We would watch film before practice. That added to what I did on my own, too.
If I didn’t have a good shooting game, I’d try to see if I rushed my jump shot or if I didn’t give it enough arc. I would always re-watch turnovers and think about what else I could have done. Did I try to force something? Did I throw it too late? Could I have thrown it to them at a better spot? Could I have thrown it higher? I’m always watching film to figure out what I could have done better and learn things like that so if the situation comes again, I can try to make that pass. If I think I could have gotten better at something, I would try to focus on those things.
Here’s every Jaylin Williams charge from last season. A majestic symphony of feet planting and whistles blowing pic.twitter.com/kApncRutfx
— Tyler Cass (@TVTylerCass) May 28, 2022
Williams: I’ve been taking charges my whole life. My dad taught me to be in the right position. It wasn’t always for the sake of taking a charge, but it was to be in the right position to help out my teammates. I’ve done it as long as I can remember, but now I have cameras on me and people recording me and people are reacting to me doing it. To me, it’s like blocking a shot or stealing a ball. For me, I just want to win, regardless of how it happens. I don’t care if I’m not playing. Of course, I want to play. But if I have to do the small things like take charges and dive for a ball and rebound, I’m willing to do that for the team. Whatever it is to win, that’s what I want to do.
love watching jaylin williams pass the rock so much pic.twitter.com/HMwZFtoE3R
— Ben Pfeifer (@bjpf_) May 22, 2022
Williams: I think it’s going to be incredible. I work on those things every day when I work out, hitting those backdoor passes or those one-handed passes over the top. I can read the game and read situations. I always try to stay one play ahead. I played point guard growing up. I was one of the tallest kids, but I was good at the game, so I played the point guard. In high school, I brought the ball up against the press just because I could see over people and I could make those passes.
This past year at Arkansas, when it was either JD Notae or Chris Lykes bringing the ball up the floor, I was right there with them. I’m good at making all of those decisions and I like making them. I watch guys like Draymond Green and Bam Adebayo and Nikola Jokic. They run the offense out of the top and they have that passing ability and that IQ.
Masterclass defensive possession by Arkansas’ Jaylin Williams pic.twitter.com/xwYhJVRoIb
— Mavs / Magic Draft (@MavsDraft) May 25, 2022
Williams: That’s probably one of the hardest guards in the league. [Laughs] But I would definitely pressure him because of how good he is at passing. That’s something we did at Arkansas. We tried to pressure guys who can make passes. I would try to push him out of his comfort zone in that mid-range and mid-post area, close to the 3-point area, so he can’t make those passes. The further you push him out, the longer the pass is going to be, and the further the offense gets pushed from the basket. If you pressure him and don’t let him get those easy passes and those easy things, it’s going to make the offense run slower, and you’re deeper from the goal.
But I just really like challenges. I like playing against guys that are the top dogs. I like being the underdog. That’s always been my thing. I want to play against Jokic. I want to play against the Warriors and see how they run their offense and see how they move around so much. I want to play against Bam Adebayo and see how hard the Heat play on offense and on defense. Every team requires a different defensive concept.
(Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
Williams: Everything you want to know about basketball, he can teach you. He’s going to have you prepare and you’re going to know every strength and weakness of the guy you are playing against. You will know their first and last name and you will know what jersey number they wear. If the two-guard is on the right-wing and the four-man is on the left dunker spot and the other guard i