New York Knicks 2015-16 Team Regular Season Grades

Derrick Williams

Derrick Williams contract was something that came under fire by many pundits last summer. People believed the Knicks overpaid for the underachieving Williams, who had yet to live up to the expectations of being the No.2 overall pick in 2011. But, with the Knicks, something finally seemed to click a bit for Williams.

Williams credited the crowd and atmosphere of Madison Square Garden as a reason for his strong play. He fed off their energy and put it towards his effort on the court. While he can still have lapses sometimes defensively, Williams provided a spark for the Knicks off the bench. It took a little while for him to stick in the rotation, but when he played the results were normally positive.

Williams used his athleticism consistently, finishing in the open court for easy baskets and getting to the foul line. Despite playing only 17.9 minutes per game, Williams was third on the team in free throw attempts per game at 3.2. Getting to the foul line has been a problem for the Knicks for a long time, but Williams gets there with ease attacking the basket.

Williams had a career-year PER wise, putting up a PER of 17.28. He averaged 9.3 points and 3.7 rebounds per game and was a main part of the Knicks bench unit. His ability to play either forward spot also got him in the starting lineup for nine games, where he upped his averages to 13.1 points and 5.7 rebounds per game.

Williams has a player option for next season, and there is a chance that he declines it to hit the market again and capitalize off a strong season. That does not mean he will not return to the Knicks though, as they like him and he likes the team.

Grade: B+

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