Last Updated on July 26, 2026 by Mat Diekhake

Explosive finishes always hinted at what Derrick Williams could bring, especially when he had room to attack in transition or cut decisively toward the rim. His blend of size, leaping ability, and face-up scoring instincts made him a difficult matchup in open space, where quick first steps and powerful finishes often put defenders on their heels.

Here’s the detailed information on Derrick Williams:

Player Profile

  • Full Name: Derrick LeRon Williams
  • Nationality: American
  • Age: Born May 25, 1991
  • Hometown: La Mirada, California
  • Height: 6’8″ (2.03 m)
  • Weight: 240 lbs (109 kg)
  • Wingspan: 7’1″ (2.16 m)
  • Shoe Size: Size 16 (US)
  • Number: Wore #7, #23, #13, #2, and #5 during his career
  • Position: Power Forward / Small Forward
  • High School: La Mirada High School, La Mirada, California
  • College: University of Arizona (2009–2011)
  • NBA Draft: 2011 NBA Draft, 2nd overall pick by the Minnesota Timberwolves
  • Teams Played For:
    • Minnesota Timberwolves (2011–2013)
    • Sacramento Kings (2013–2015)
    • New York Knicks (2015–2016)
    • Miami Heat (2016–2017)
    • Cleveland Cavaliers (2017)
    • International career after the NBA, including stints with Bayern Munich, Panathinaikos, and Valencia Basket.
  • Championship Rings: None in the NBA
  • Kids: Not publicly available
  • Siblings: Not publicly available

Player Archetype / Play Style

Derrick Williams’ player archetype was that of an athletic combo forward — a tweener scoring forward who blended power, straight-line burst, and face-up offense, but never settled cleanly into either a full-time wing or a traditional big role. Defensively, he projected more as a matchup-dependent forward than a true stopper, with enough strength and explosiveness to survive some frontcourt assignments but not the consistent rim protection, lateral discipline, or positional clarity to anchor a scheme. Offensively, his best work came as a transition finisher, slasher, cutter, and complementary scorer who could attack closeouts, finish above the rim, and occasionally space the floor, rather than operate as a primary creator. His physical traits — a strong 6-foot-8 frame, good length, powerful leaping ability, and open-floor athleticism — made him visually imposing and helped fuel the upside that followed him into the league. Overall, Williams played like a high-energy scoring forward whose tools and versatility were intriguing, even if his long-term NBA fit remained caught between positions.

Scouting Report

Derrick Williams always felt like a player whose best moments came when the game was moving instead of being picked apart in the half court. Give him an open lane after a defensive rebound, an early drag screen or a defence scrambling out of rotation and he became difficult to contain because he covered ground so quickly and finished above the rim with very little gather. The first thing you notice is how naturally he attacked closeouts. He didn’t need an elaborate handle to create separation; one decisive first step was often enough to get shoulder-to-shoulder with his defender, forcing the low man into a late rotation. The trade-off was that once the initial advantage disappeared, his offensive game became much less certain. He wasn’t consistently comfortable creating from isolation, reading layered help in pick-and-rolls or punishing switches with polished post work, so possessions could stall when opponents forced him into slower decisions. Defensively he had the physical tools to switch across multiple frontcourt matchups and could make impressive recovery plays from the weak side, but his positioning drifted at times, particularly against offences built on quick ball movement and off-ball screening. It’s easy to overlook that he often defended his own assignment better than the overall possession, arriving a fraction late as the low man or losing track of relocations after helping inside. To me, Williams fit best as an athletic complementary forward in an up-tempo system where he could sprint the floor, attack tilted defences, finish as a cutter and provide occasional spacing without carrying major creation responsibilities. That’s where his explosiveness consistently translated into efficient offence. His game shared similarities with Michael Beasley in the blend of size, scoring talent and preference for attacking before the defence settled, although Williams relied more on straight-line speed than shot-making craft, while there were also flashes of Stromile Swift in the way his physical gifts could completely change a possession when everything happened instinctively rather than deliberately.

Sources:

NBADraft.net — Derrick Williams
Liberty Ballers — Scouting report: Derrick Williams, PF, Arizona Wildcats
Bleacher Report — NBA Draft 2011 Scouting Report Profile: Derrick Williams
Bullets Forever — 2011 Draft Prospect Profile – Derrick Williams