Amari Williams draws Nikola Jokic comparisons from teammates

Out of 27 total players on the floor for either team in Kentucky‘s 71-point exhibition win over Kentucky Wesleyan, two tied as game leaders with six assists apiece — both individually surpassing the total team turnovers of five. One of those players was the starting point guard of a Final Four team with four years of experience and 338 career assists. No shock there.

The other is a 7-foot, 262-pound center from Nottingham, England named Amari Williams.

The Drexel transfer was Mark Pope’s first portal addition this past offseason, prioritizing the three-time CAA Defensive Player of the Year immediately after taking the Kentucky job. A dynamic shot-blocker, sure, but he was particularly interested in Williams’ court vision and passing ability, a potential straw stirring the drink in his read and react offense. He had the feel for it at the mid-major level and Pope wanted to see him do it playing for him in the SEC, similar to the impact Aly Khalifa made for him at BYU.

One exhibition game in? So far, so good.

Williams finished with 12 points on 5-6 shooting to go with six assists, five rebounds, one block and no turnovers in 20 minutes. It was a performance that fell right in line with what he hoped to show going into the matchup on both ends of the floor.

“I bring the intensity defensively and offensively. And I find my shooters, that’s it,” Williams said Tuesday. “I’ll try to get to the basket a lot and do anything I can to help my teammates get open and get the win.”

Check, check and check.

He hit Andrew Carr on a touch pass for a baseline slam, then a dump-off for an and-one in the middle of the floor. Pulling the defense in, he followed that up with a kick-out to Koby Brea for the catch-and shoot three from the left wing — bang. Then another on the other side of the floor to Ansley Almonor with the same result. How about a lob from the top of the key to Otega Oweh for an alley-oop finish at the rim? Yeah, he can do that too.

Seven foot playmaker 🦄

12 PTS (5-6 FG) | 6 AST | 5 REB pic.twitter.com/QH3oEW0oR7

— Kentucky Men’s Basketball (@KentuckyMBB) October 25, 2024

He started building chemistry with his teammates quickly this summer, learning where they’re most comfortable on the floor and how to play off one another. That’s allowed them to come together as a cohesive unit slightly ahead of schedule.

“As a passer, you need to know who is cutting and who is able to catch those passes,” Williams said. “Learning things like that really helped in the offseason, who is going to be where — corners, under the basket, things like that.”

It was an adjustment for Williams, as well, coming from a school who utilized his passing gifts, but maybe not in a shot-heavy, run-and-gun system like this one. Pope saw the glimpses during his time at Drexel hoping for the complete product in Lexington, their strengths complementing each other for a clear fit.

He’s able to do what he likes most in a player-friendly offense.

“Trail spot in the five-out wasn’t something we really did at my old school, especially with the actions we run,” he added. “I feel like I fit in quite well because passing is something I like to do. That’s where it helps me the most.”

There’s a balance, though, between making the right reads to execute at the highest level and getting his game off for the highlight reel. Sometimes less is more, Williams taking just as much pride in the zero turnovers as his six assists.

When you have so much shooting and scoring talent around you, delivering crisp passes is really all you need to look the part.

“I’m just trying to find the open cutters. At the same time, I’m just trying to make the simple play,” Williams said. “It doesn’t have to be a flashy pass, but it’s just — we have a lot of great shooters. I have to find them out on the perimeter, wherever they may be. In the corner or at the top of the key, I have to make the simple play. That’s all it is.”

When the situation calls for digging deep in his bag for something extra, he’s got that in him, too. Maybe a behind-the-back pass or two?

“I’ve only seen that in all-star game settings, I don’t usually do that [laughs],” he said. “But we’ll see, a few passes may come out, I’m not sure yet.”

This behind the back pass from Amari Williams 👀

🎥: Michael Logan/TikTok pic.twitter.com/B4XISI9GGm

— Tristan Pharis (@TristanUda) October 12, 2024

What’s it like being on the receiving end of Williams’ passes? Take sharpshooter Koby Brea’s word for it.

The Dayton transfer is blown away, adding that it’s like playing with none other than NBA MVP and world champion Nikola Jokic out there. They trust him to find open shooters at all times.

“You see it every day in practice, but just to see it in the game, things that these dudes are able to do, it’s pretty impressive,” Brea said. “Amari is a 7-footer, and the passes that he throws — I call him Jokic all the time for that reason. He’s really, really intelligent, too. There’s always a method behind what he does. We trust him.”

Quite the luxury to have for Mark Pope in his first season.