Kam Williams
- Thread starter Lameguy
- Start date
Honestly, he hasn’t really demonstrated above average ball handling for a forward much less a guard.
So, I (and I think most others?) think his lack of ball handling prohibits counting on him as a guard.
That’s what I thought so I went back and looked at his play and it really wasn’t bad. DA and OO and Lowe when he was available were pretty ball dominate guards makes me wonder if we just didn’t get to see him with the ball In his hands.
The primary offensive issue is not shooting, instead it’s ballhandling against pressure.
Remember Jasper Johnson’s colossal turnover machine routine last year? That’s because we forced him into more of a ballhandling role than he was equipped for. And he was an actual guard. That could easily be even worse if we force a natural forward like Kam or Hawthorne into a guard role.
Thats a good point but with Zoom, Wilkens and M.W. I don’t think Williams will ever have to play point and he’s more than cable of playing 2 guard. He’s definitely better than Johnson was.
So, to clarify, I was speaking to Kam not showing good ballhandling with change of direction (and against pressure as @Smeegs mentioned).
Maybe he has it in his arsenal, but last year's team was desperate for someone who was capable of creating like that, and he never stepped up to do it.
This is off subject but I rewatched the UL game from last year, regardless of how bad it turned out, you could see the team had offensive potential. Lowe, DA and CC , MM along with Kam looked good. OO, MD and BG just weren’t good fits. Lowe getting hurt really created bad chemistry, DA‘s and OO‘s game just didn’t compliment each other.
OO and DA weren’t good teammates. Watched them pass over wide open teammates time and time again. I would even say cancerous to any chance of success. This will be proven at Florida this season. Florida will underachieve. I’ve seen it in Florida’s exhibitions. DA is a horrible ingredient in the cake. He’s an ok talent, but he just doesn’t mesh.
Totally agree, both guys wanted so bad to be the lead scorer and noticed I didn’t say the leader. Hard to figure which one was the bigger issue. I truly believe Lowe being healthy would have greatly helped the team. Not sure if OO would have bought in, DA I believe could have been an effective 2 guard. I wasn’t a fan of either player.
I think Kam may play some guard, as will Hawthorne. Although I don't think 3pt shooting is a factor in that decision. The 2 big factors are #1 can you guard a guard, and to a lesser degree #2 is your ball handling adequate. Kam was one of our best defenders last year, and presumably would be this year too. Hawthorne showed some good defense the other night as well. BOTH with their length and reach could pose problems for a lot of guards trying to get their shots off, as long as they aren't getting blown-by.
I sometimes wonder how much people actually watched our games last year. One of our biggest problems on offense was lack of guys who could dribble. We had trouble just getting the ball up the court and initiating the offense under any amount of pressure, and we lacked guys who could penetrate so we were stuck passing around the perimeter. Kam did not demonstrate any ability to play that role last year. We tried to get Jasper to fill it and he couldn't. Chandler struggled. If Kam had it, we'd have seen it because we were DYING for anyone to step up.
Primary ball handler is your point guard, Kam and Chandler aren’t point guards. With Zoom, Mason and Alex cable of playing point, I think Kam is more than cable of playing 2 guard.
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Again, I question how closely you watched us last year. You need more than one player on the floor who can dribble.
We didn’t have a point guard last year, I think you’re confusing the issue. Pope was down to one primary ball handler last year after Perry and Lewis bailed out. Once Lowe went down Ky didn’t have a point guard that was the issue. Kam is a shooting guard. I definitely watched and understand how it works.
Hawthorne has decent handles and can attack the basket Kam on the other hand hasn't shown the ability to do so.
While what you say is true for certain, there is no law that says you have have your 2 guard handle the ball a lot. Full court presses in the modern age are beaten the way Billy Donovan's championship teams beat them, with the fours and fives bringing the ball up. As for the half court offense, the less dribbling the better.
His 3 point percentage was lifted significantly by one game where he hit 8 threes.
So unless we are playing Bellarmine or whatever they are called, im more wait and see on Kams 3 point shooting percentage.
Adding KW to the rotation is going to be very interesting and I think will unlock some things we haven’t seen yet.
The question isn’t whether or not he needs to handle the ball but does he start?
I think he could really benefit from teams having to prioritize MM and Moreno. His percentage and even volume should increase with better looks as teams focus on the other two. Throw MW in there and his ability to get buckets…
Or maybe he’s a pretty good 3 and D off the bench. Pair him with Hawthorne…the height length of those two could really frustrate opposing Os. They both can knock down shots too.
The question isn’t whether or not he needs to handle the ball but does he start?
I think he could really benefit from teams having to prioritize MM and Moreno. His percentage and even volume should increase with better looks as teams focus on the other two. Throw MW in there and his ability to get buckets…
Or maybe he’s a pretty good 3 and D off the bench. Pair him with Hawthorne…the height length of those two could really frustrate opposing Os. They both can knock down shots too.
Again, competition. Let's see it all year against sec teams is my point.
He made 28 threes and 8 of those makes came in one amazing 80% shooting performance.
I am sure he will shoot 35% or better but just need to see the consistency.
My point here was that so many have talked about Ky having only 3 guards which isn’t true, Kam is indeed a guard and more that cable. He wasn’t missing contested 3s last year, he was wide open most of the time. I expect his pct. to be higher than 36% this year
The stuff about how close Kam is to returning sounds a lot like the messages we got about Bradshaw. He’s nearly there but we are going really slow. We know how that worked out.
We need Kam so I sure hope this isn’t Pope or whoever blowing smoke up our skirts.
We need Kam so I sure hope this isn’t Pope or whoever blowing smoke up our skirts.
You have to have more than one player that is capable of creating off the dribble. Three is the ideal number. If it's just one, it's super easy to scheme for a good team.
You don't if you don't think having more than one guy capable of creating off the dribble. A "shooting guard" isn't just a shooter. That's more reserved for a stretch 4.
Whether or not Hawthorne can give 2G minutes will be fun to watch. Pope used him in that role a bit for the UCF game.
Playing against Tulane competition. Lesser competition means much cleaner looks. See Bellarmine for example.
He isn't a guard. He doesn't have guard skills. He's got about as much guard skills as Andrew Carr or Derek Willis, at least offensively speaking.
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| No. 3 – Kentucky Wildcats | |
| Position | Shooting guard |
| League | Southeastern Conference |
| Born | November 22, 2005 (age 20) |
| Listed height | 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) |
| Listed weight | 210 lb (95 kg) |
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