Where would William McDowell-White fit in the NBL?
On the back of the news that William McDowell-White will not be enrolling at Fresno State this season, here’s a look at what type of situation he would thrive in in the NBL.
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McDowell-White looked every bit the NBA prospect that he has been lauded as in the SEABL this season as he competed fine physically and looked a class above most with the ball in his hands. He displayed awesome efficiency on offense, playing on or off the ball, whilst he defended a range of guards and forwards on defense which netted him a well-deserved Youth Player of the Year award. SEABL 2016 MINS 2P% 3P% FT% PTS AST REB STL BLK TOV William McDowell-White 31.5 64.1 35.8 76.2 10.9 3.7 6.7 2.0 0.4 1.0 There’s an obvious jump to the NBL level but I have no doubt that McDowell-White could be a contributor almost immediately in a role off the bench for the majority of teams. Here’s my top four in no particular order:
Sydney
The Kings were late to lock up their full roster and just recently elevated local forward Craig Moller and import forward Garrett Jackson to a roster that already featured Aleks Maric, Josh Powell, Greg Whittington, Tom Garlepp and Jeromie Hill. A team that is now reliant on their two main guards playing heavy minutes every night, and their forwards being versatile enough to slide down a position at times, could certainly benefit from McDowell-White's athleticism, unselfishness, and multi-positioned two-way play off the bench.
Brisbane
The Bullets make a lot of sense given the questions on their guard depth and the fact that McDowell-White played here in the SEABL this year. Shaun Bruce has been needed to play 283 minutes (more than Tom Jervis has received in the more stacked front-court), and he’s generally struggled, whilst Matt Kenyon has seen the floor in less than 50 minutes. Having a dynamic guard like McDowell-White off the bench would really add to the mix of this roster.
Perth
Mason Bragg has been a find (+3 in 61 minutes) for the Wildcats out of the SEABL with his speed and tenacity quickly pushing him past Jackson Hussey and into competition with Corban Wroe for minutes with Damian Martin on the sidelines. As handy as Bragg’s been though, McDowell-White’s addition would have been on another level with his extra size and obvious class.
Adelaide
The 36ers would have been the best situation for McDowell-White strictly from a playing style perspective with Joey Wright’s 36ers running more than any other team (Illawarra would work nicely too). Will’s ability to push the ball and make the highlight pass or finish in transition is one of his biggest strengths. Adelaide are already super young and are a ‘League Pass’ darling and McDowell-White would only add to that.