





This is Derrick Williams' best chance to unleash his untapped potential since being the #2 pick in 2011. Things haven't gone according to plan as he is going to play for his 4th team in 6 seasons. He hasn't quit been a bust but he for sure hasn't been the player everyone thought he would be coming off the Elite 8 with Arizona.

What Went Wrong for Williams?

Dysfunction

After 5 seasons he hasn't shown much progress but if you look at all the teams he's played for (Minnesota, Sacramento, and New York) they all had one thing in common: they were dysfunctional. Never at any point did Williams play or have a chance to contend because he always played for a losing team. Rick Adelman never gave him a chance in Minnesota. In Sacramento, he played for 3 coaches in 1 season! He also dealt with a coaching change with the Knicks last season. That's 4 coaches in 2 years! Talk about an emotional rollercoaster.

Always got screwed playing behind someone

In Minnesota he had to play behind Kevin Love. He got the starting role in Sacramento but then acquired Rudy Gay weeks later and never got it going after that. In New York he was supposed to start but Porzingis exceeded expectations and Lance Thomas emerged as a key piece. Basically Williams has always had to deal with too much depth and hasn't been given a chance to showcase.

Defense

I've been talking about how he's been in some unfortunate situations but this one is on him. For whatever reason he's never been a good defender. Some of it may be due to his IQ and some of it is his tweener position and gets caught in mismatches easily. Many coaches have kept him out for that particular reason.

Reasons to Believe It Will Be Different in Miami

If you look at his statistics from last season they look average:

He only averaged 9.3 points in just 17.9 minutes per game but the thing that stands out from his other seasons is that he did it in just limited minutes. Statistics show that DWill would've averaged 18 points in 36 minutes so if he can get playing time (which he should) he will be up in double digit scoring. He became a fan favorite in New York and it was by far his best season as a pro which should be good news for Heat Fans.

Conclusion

I like Derrick Williams' chance to finally be the player we all thought he would be. He won't have much competition and will have a trusted coach in Erik Spoelstra. I predict he'll average somewhere around 12-15 points with the potential to average 17-18 points. I don't know if he will finally breakout but you have to believe this is his best opportunity to do so. For the most part, it's a chance for him to have a solid season and to build on a future with the Heat. If he can't get it going in Miami then I don't know where but last year with the Knicks showed that he's ready to make a bigger step. I think a lot of Heat fans will be surprised at what he has to offer. I'm picking Miami as DWill's destined spot to finally reach his potential and you heard it first.