By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
After the one-year stints in Germany, Turkey, and Spain, Derrick Williams is adding another destination to his career after penning a deal with Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv for the 2021-22 season, the Israeli club announced.
Per Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv:
Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv is proud to announce the signing of Derrick Williams (30 years old, 2.03 meters) on a contract for the upcoming season.
Derrick Williams is an athletic and strong forward with diverse offensive abilities and a great presence. Next season will be his fourth in the Euroleague after already starring in the ranks of Bayern Munich, Fenerbahce and Valencia. In the past season he has provided 9 points (66.2% for two) and an average of 3.1 rebounds per evening in the senior European competition, along with lots of toughness and dunks from another world.
“Shalom! I am so excited to join Maccabi Tel Aviv and to be a part of this incredible organization”, Derrick Williams told maccabi.co.il. “I’m looking forward to playing in front of the passionate fans in Tel Aviv and helping the team compete for Israeli and EuroLeague championships. Let’s get to work”.
“We are very happy to have Derrick Williams with us because he will give us a lot of power in the forward position”, Coach Giannis Sfairopoulos explained. “We are very pleased that we have signed another quality player, a player who knows the Euroleague and will fight with us to achieve our goals. Welcome to the Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv family, Derrick.”
Williams was picked second in the 2011 NBA draft by Minnesota, right after Kyrie Irving was selected first. He played three years for the Timberwolves and then for Sacramento, New York, Miami and Cleveland. In all, he played no less than 443 games in the NBA. By the way, during the 2014/15 season he collaborated in Sacramento with Omri Casspi.
After a short period in China, Williams has already completed 3 years in the Euroleague: at Bayern Munich in the 2018/19 season with an average of 13.4 points per game, then at Fenerbahce (11.3 points) and last season, as mentioned, with Valencia.
At the beginning of last season, he scored 15 points and picked up 6 rebounds in 22 minutes in Valencia’s 82:80 victory over Maccabi in Spain. In the second round, it was the Maccabees who came out on top and when they won 84:72 in TLV.
The previous season, which was stopped due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Williams scored 11 points and picked up 6 rebounds in a Fenerbahce loss and excelled with 22 points and 6 rebounds in the dramatic game in Istanbul, at the end of which Maccabi won 78:77 from a dramatic basket by Othello Hunter.