After several weeks of searching, Hapoel Jerusalem found the player to replace Maurice Andor, who left due to the war in Israel, and announced the signing of forward/center Ja'Corey Williams. The American interior player (29, 2.03) is already a little known to Israeli basketball fans, after a stint at Hapoel Gilboa Galil in the 2017/1018 season, when he joined mid-season and contributed 8.6 points and 5.1 rebounds per game in 20 minutes per night.
As in the North team, Williams does not come to the capital to serve as a leading player, but as a complementary player. This position is no stranger to Williams, as it is a role he has held throughout his career with a number of different teams, including this season in Montenegrin Bodućnost, where he averaged 9.1 points and 4.9 rebounds in 19.7 minutes per game in the Eurocup, along with 8.5 points and 4.5 rebounds in 18.6 minutes per game in the Adriatic League.
Charges Chapter 63
The Jerusalemites were looking for a player who would step into the shoes of the departed Andor and become the second tallest player to primarily serve as the defensive center coming off the bench. They found what they were looking for in Williams, a player with impressive athletic abilities that would allow him to integrate into the defensive system and even manage in a situation of substitutions in which he would have to guard the opponent's guard.
On the other hand, his offensive suitability for Zach Hankins will be called into question due to their lack of shooting from three or half distance (an ability Andor excelled at). which can spread the game, which will make it difficult for Ilias Kanzoris to play with his tall duo together.
Ja'Corey Williams at the Arena in Jerusalem in a Hapoel Gilboa Galil uniform, photo: Udi Zitiat
Williams doesn't shoot from outside the arc at all, struggles to shoot from the free-throw line (just 39.1% this season in the EuroCup) and usually scores in transition attacks, post-up moves or offensive rebounds. Despite his ability to get the ball to the floor, he doesn't often generate points for himself, and has trouble influencing the offensive game outside the paint. Therefore, most of his use in the capital is expected to be at the No. 5 position and defensive assignments, leaving the No. 4 position primarily to Chris Johnson and Oz Blazer.
The peak seasons of Williams' career both came in the Italian league, when he was given a central role as the starting center for his teams. In the 2020-21 season, he was Trento's leading player with averages of 18.2 points and 7.8 rebounds and was named the league's leading scorer, and last season in Napoli he averaged 15.1 points and 7.9 rebounds per game for the southern Italian team and was named to the All-NBA Team.
Williams. Not threatening to throw from afar, photo: from Twitter
"Last season was wonderful for me Ja'Corey personally. He showed improvement in his game and looked much better than his breakout season in Trento two years earlier," Italian journalist Cesar Milanti of the Eurohops website told Israel Hayom: "Williams is a very physical, athletic, and mobile center on offense. The combination of these abilities, both physical and athletic, has been a significant force in the Italian league."
"He was very different from the 'regular' centers in the Italian league, most of whom were less athletic than him." Milanti continued: "Last season the Napoli system of playing based on cuts and movement without the ball in attack was very beneficial to him. His main drawbacks are his lack of three-point shooting and low percentage from the penalty line, that's something he's going to have to work on to improve."
At the age of 29, Williams was and remains an enigma. Alongside peak seasons in Italy and the Development League came disappointing seasons in France (Bourge) and Montenegro (Buduchenost). The instability along with his physical size (2.03) made him move between the positions uncomfortably, as he sometimes struggled against bigger and more physical chins in the No. 5 position, but without outside shooting he was unable to contribute offensively at the No. 4 position.
Still, Milanetti believes Williams would fit well into the Reds' system. "I believe he will fit into Hapoel's system that relies on athletic players with a defensive approach who can guard several positions. In my opinion, for the Champions League, and at the level Hapoel Jerusalem is playing, he is a great reinforcement, the kind of center they lacked in the team."
The @CantonCharge connection strikes again ⚡️@IAmMalikNewman 💰 ↗️ JaCorey Williams (@_JWilliams22) 💪@CantonCharge ➡️ @cavs #NBASummer pic.twitter.com/Sus89lBofD
— NBA G League (@nbagleague) July 13, 2019
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