An interesting and ‘ambitious’ addition to the Phoenix Suns’ centerfield

This is the SZN trade and free agency speculation here at Bright Side. The Phoenix Suns need to be fixed and we are exploring different ways to do that. From the Nurkic trade to the addition of LeBron James, there is a lot to talk about and speculate about.

Bleacher Report’s Dan Favale and Grant Hughes took a look at the weeds of all 30 teams earlier this week, deciding on a “stretch goal” for each. For Phoenix, Favale highlighted his lofty goal as Robert Williams III.

Now, in short, he made sure to note the obstacles the Suns currently face as a second fiscal apron team.

Still, viewing Robert Williams III as a target makes a lot of functional sense. The Suns sorely lacked athleticism in addition to frontcourt versatility last season.

While Robert Williams III wouldn’t be the giant guy Brook Lopez was in Milwaukee in terms of stature for Budenholzer, nor as versatile as Al Horford was for Bud in Atlanta, Williams would provide a mix of both of those things, plus vertical spacing. which neither provided.

Additionally, the ability to operate effectively and impactfully as a hub offensively in a modern setting, establishing or maintaining advantages, he can also space the field effectively.

It’s the connecting nature of the skill he provides – allowing his teammates to access both downhill and target an opposing center on the move.

Williams was very functional for the Celtics in keeping their five-out elements on offense. In events where he was simply left in space, on the catch, it was automatic in their process to get into these uphill dribble handoff scenarios, functioning as pick-and-adjacent fast hitter types. roll which compromised the defenders.

Additionally, he has the skills to connect on backdoor passes galore, as well as make quick decisions on the short-roll.

As Favale noted, the inherent risk is availability for him, having only appeared in 41 games over the past two seasons. However, valuing him should far outweigh any risk of injury. He’s been a key and anchor, sparking the Celtics’ defense in their 2022 NBA Finals appearance.

During that regular season, the Celtics had the best defensive rating in the league, at 106.2. With the “Timelord” on the ground, their rating dropped to an even more impactful 105.6, 3.31 points better than when he wasn’t on the ground, according to PBPstats.

Additionally, in the playoffs, their rating with him on the court was 103.7, which was 5.95 points per 100 possessions better than when he rested. He is elite around the basket, with an array of soft-touch finishing abilities in addition to the ability to space vertically and dunk the ball.

According to Cleaning the Glass, he has been 96th percentile in three of the last four seasons at the rim – showing a strong ability to shut down advantages created by others, and does so through contact. This is combined with a -1 percentage ranked in the 77th percentile or better in each of the last five seasons.

The 26-year-old center was second team defense, 7th for defensive player of the year and 9th for most improved, in 2021-22.

This is a home run outside the “do your job” realm of role players who can be elite at their particular tasks, and would infuse a team with a different archetype that can perform in many contexts that Nurkić did to maintain his functionality offensively. , while doing other more specific things better in finishing, marking his greatest defensive value – unlocking the scheme and lineup versatility thanks to his IQ and athleticism.

Nailing the backup center field becomes more important in an injury emergency involving him, but rewarding his services at times of greatest need raises the Suns’ defensive ceiling in a way that their zone before current simply cannot.

Williams III would be a piece that would fit the requirements for principles and defensive usage that Budenholzer will want from his starting anchor – instilling a spark of athleticism and lateral movement and transition ability conducive to a pace of disruptive play.

What do you think of Robert Williams III in a Suns uniform as an “ambitious” addition? Let’s talk about it!