Boston Celtics Head Coach Brad Stevens said, “I don’t have the five positions anymore. It may be as simple as three positions now, where you’re either a ball handler, a wing or a big.” This is how modern basketball is thought of, however even as recent as ten years ago this was not how things were supposed to be.

It is safe to say the NBA game is ever changing. This is not something earth shattering, there are not many guys who come into the league who know exactly what position they will be playing and how their skill set will be used.

Look at Patrick Williams for example, he will be walking into the NBA at 19 years old, standing 6’8” and 225 pounds with a 6’11” wingspan. With his length, size and athleticism packaged together with his IQ and skill set you can find this switchable, versatile player who has high expectations within the league, due to his jack-of-all-trades nature.

However, last night, Patrick Williams was draft 4thoverall, by the Chicago Bulls. This pick was brought into question by many twitter scouts and bloggers. And while after watching Williams since he was a 6’2” point guard in the 9th grade, you come to find one thing about him, Williams thrives in his role on his team. So, while he may not be a “carry a team on his back” type of prospect, he is someone who plays a major role in winning.

Let’s take a look at Williams track record, he played 17u on the EYBL for two seasons, his final year leading Team United to the Final Four of the Peach Jam (the circuit’s NCAA Tournament, so to speak). During his senior season at West Charlotte, Williams led his team to a 25-win season and a spot in the state championship game. In his only year at Florida State, he was the youngest player on the roster, fourth on the team in minutes played as he helped lead the team to 26 wins and an ACC regular season title. Williams’ teams seem to always win.

So, who will Williams be for the Bulls?

To know who a player is, we first should talk about who he is not. Williams is not Lebron James or even Kawhi Leonard. As we discussed previously, he is not someone who will carry a team on his back, and that is fine. However, he does have some similar physical traits to the two previously mentioned stars, with a 6’11” wing-span and a measured 39” max vertical leap.

What Williams is able to do is he is able to defend up and down a lineup, he is able to make a play for himself, or others, with the ball in his hands and he does move well off the ball. All things that lend to success on the NBA floor, in today’s modern game.

My guess is that Williams will find more success on the NBA floor than he did in college. While he was the fourth leading scorer and rebounder for the ACC regular season champion last year, Williams did come off the bench as he played the season as an 18-year-old. While the fourth pick is lofty, expectations should be tempered as Chicago has found a key piece, who will carve out a winning role for years to come.

Comparisons have been all over the place with Williams, most notably we heard Marvin Williams. I am not a fan of the Marvin Williams comparison. As a floor I think you should look at Al Farouq Aminu who has been in the league for 10 years and started in 63% of his games played. When looking at the totality of his game you can see some shades of Paul Millsap along with some shades of PJ Tucker as well.

Without question Williams has been a player who has run his own race. Starting out as a 6’2” point guard and quietly getting better and better until his senior season he exploded as a senior, after his Peach Jam run. Keep in mind, during his junior and start of his senior seasons there were still very real arguments, when doing rankings, if Williams was the top player in his class in North Carolina. He eventually became a Jordan Brand All American and a consensus Top 30 prospect.

Next year, look for Williams to carve out his niche with the Bulls. His role will be defined by the talent the front office puts around him, as he becomes a piece of the organization’s puzzle. Given Williams incredible make up to go along with his physical frame and skill set look for Williams to settle into his niche, in the way Al Farouq Amino, Paul Millsap and PJ Tucker each did.

Having watched him since his ninth grade year and really gotten to know him since his 11th grade year, I can tell you Williams is a relentless worker, an excellent teammate and a player who knows who he is, what he can do and how to elevate the level of his team. Each of these are desirable traits within winning NBA organizations.