Derrick Williams

The best college basketball player in the West also happened to be the best player in the recent NBA Draft, even if the Cleveland Cavaliers and most pundits decided otherwise.

Said player, Derrick Williams, the University of Arizona forward, went to the Minnesota Timberwolves second. Cleveland took Duke point guard Kyrie Irving first.

Both should become NBA All-Stars someday. More to the point, Williams is the kind of player every NBA champion needs: Large and skilled.

Point guards are important, even more so now because of rule changes that made life easier for them. But the little guys aren't essential to winning it all. At least 10 NBA champions in the last three decades lacked an elite point guard, including the Dallas Mavericks this year.

What every NBA champion must have is a  big player who can both create and make his own shots.

This year it was Mavs star Dirk Nowitzki, a 7-footer whose shooting and drives uncluttered the chessboard. Nowitzki created lanes for tiny teammate J.J. Barea, the reserve point guard and postseason surprise. Kobe Bryant, Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, Lamar Odom and Pao Gasol -- all are good-sized players who score on their own, from both near and far. Each won an NBA title in recent years.

Williams, 6-foot-8 and 245 pounds, can evolve into a similar lead player on an NBA champion. He is an explosive bruiser with a scorer's touch. A 60 percent shooter this year, Williams made 57 percent of his three-point attempts (42-of-74).

West Coast Bias likes two other things about Williams.

His game should have a lot of growth in it. Coming from Southern California's La MIrada High two years ago, Williams was less touted than several Arizona teammates and improved more than all of them. His ballhandling and defense need work, but he likes to work. Williams also dominated this year despite a fractured finger. He just turned 20.

Another plus is his nickname: "The Whole Enchilada From La Mirada."

For the Lakers, the draft returned value in second-round pick Darius Morris, a Michigan point guard who played his prep ball in Los Angeles. Morris, a 6-4 sophomore, needs work in all areas. His confidence and stealth speed give him a chance to help. Morris broke down Duke's defense several times in the NCAA Tournament. Irving was playing only his second game in three months, but Morris also got past another Duke point guard drafted in the first round, Nolan Smith.

Photo: Neon Tommy, Creative Commons 2.0.