By Stelios Toromanides/ info@eurohoops.net
With the help of stats and videos, Eurohoops sketches out the profile of the American guard, who is first new face on the roster of the Piraeus team, reinforcing their backcourt.
The 23-year-old player was born in Happy Valley, Oregon, he’s 1.91m and plays in the point guard position. He’s a gifted player, both in terms of execution as well as creation. One can see many positive aspects in his game but also some weaknesses that so far haven’t allowed him to play in the NBA. Despite that, the fact that he’s so young enables him to improve, an improvement which already started to show in his first season as a professional player in the colors of Partizan.
The two colleges, the final of the NCAA and his “special” selection in the NBA Draft
Williams-Goss started his college career in 2013 with the Washington Huskies, where he stayed for two seasons. He had a very good relationship with his coaches and teammates but decided to transfer to Gonzaga University in the 2016-2017 season as he thought that, there, he would be given more opportunities to improve and bring out his game because of that institution’s better program. And as it turned out, he was absolutely right.
With the Bulldogs, he was able to go all the way to the final of the NCAA in 2017, something that happened for the first time in the history of that particular college. He was a starter in every game and was one of the protagonists in Gonzaga’s impressive run.
This didn’t go unnoticed by the radars of the NBA and, as a result, he was selected by the Utah Jazz as the No.55 pick in the draft. The ranking may not be impressive but he was the first guard from Gonzaga to be selected in the draft since 2004 and Blake Stepp!
That same summer he took part in the summer league in Las Vegas and in Salt Lake City with the Mormons, averaging 4.4 points, 3.1 assists and 2.1 rebounds. He didn’t stay on the roster of the Jazz but crossed the Atlantic in order to find his first professional contract, which was for two years with Partizan Belgrade.
Nigel Williams-Goss’s stats in college:
| University | Season | Games | Starter | Playing time | Points | FG(%) | 3p (%) | Assists | Reb. |
| Ουάσινγκτον | 2013-2014 | 32 | 32 | 33,2 | 13,4 | 46,4% | 35,6% | 4,4 | 4,4 |
| 2014-2015 | 30 | 30 | 36,8 | 15,6 | 44,2% | 25,6% | 5,9 | 5,9 | |
| Γκονζάγκα | 2016-2017 | 38 | 38 | 32,8 | 16,8 | 48,6% | 36,8% | 4,7 | 6 |
| Σύνολο | 3 Σεζόν | 100 | 100 | 34,2 | 15,3 | 46,4% | 33,1% | 5 | 5,1 |
Partizan Belgrade and the challenge of Olympiacos
In his first season in the colors of Partizan Belgrade, he didn’t do badly at all. He was the number one danger for the opponents of the Serbian team, something that his stats corroborate. He played in four different competitions, he was his team’s orchestrator as he had been in his college years, and he stood out with his performance in the 7DAYS EuroCup, which is the second best European club competition after the EuroLeague.
He won the Serbian cup as the MVP and the top scorer of the Final 8, where Partizan got an 81-75 win over Crvena Zvezda in the final. In that game, he got 23 points, 7 assists and 3 rebounds.
After an impressive first season on the Old Continent, the time has come for him to try his luck at the top level with a team that aims for the top. Aside from Olympiacos, he also had offers from Baskonia and Zalgiris Kaunas, but the Reds’ forcefulness and the prospect of working with David Blatt tipped the balance in favor of the Piraeus team.
Nigel Williams-Goss’s stats from the 2017-2018 season with Partizan Belgrade:
| Competition | Games | Playing time | Points | 2-pointers | 3-pointers | Free throws | Assists | Rebs. |
| Eurocup | 9 | 30,2 | 17 | 48,8% | 50% | 85,2% | 6,7 | 2,8 |
| ABA League | 20 | 32,2 | 16,9 | 51,9% | 46,2% | 89,1% | 7 | 3,7 |
| Serbian League | 14 | 29,4 | 19,6 | 54,4% | 52,8% | 92,1% | 8 | 3,6 |
| Serbian Cup | 3 | 26,9 | 11,7 | 38,7% | 0% | 100% | 6 | 4 |
| Total numbers | 46 | 29,7 | 17,4 | 51,2%
228/445 |
47,8%
65/136 |
90,3%
149/165 |
7,2 | 2,4 |
The assets and the things that are lacking from his game, plus the question marks that come at the top level
The American player has a high basketball IQ, as can be seen from what he does on the court and from reporting from the USA.
He can execute in many different ways on offense: after a dribble, as a spot shooter, on the counter; he specializes in floaters while he can also threaten in the post, though to a lesser extent and against weaker players.
He’s pretty athletic but not as explosive in his game. This weakness, in conjunction with his moderate scoring percentages in college, is what prevented NBA teams from selecting him higher in the draft.
Among the positives is the fact that he’s not afraid to make crucial decisions, while in defense he can press on the ball thanks to his size and long arms.
The big question regarding his case is to what extent he will be able to adapt quickly to the demands of such a big team like Olympiacos and, in fact, in a role that will be more complementary compared to the ones he’s had so far in his career.
Of course, David Blatt will have already thought of the tasks he wants him to do on the court and how he will be able to help Olympiacos to the maximum extent. In closing, we should mention that he’s an impeccable character who likes to work hard and constantly improve.
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