Williams, who attended the same high school as former Knicks shooting guard Jamal Crawford and current Knicks sixth-man Nate Robinson, worked out for New York at the team’s training center on Wednesday. He was joined by five other NBA hopefuls looking to be selected by the Knicks in next week’s draft, as a familiar face looked on.

“It was great competition,” the 6-foot-6 Williams said. “You had everybody in charge - as far as the GM to the head coach to Nate Robinson, my best friend - on the sideline the whole time.”

Williams would like nothing more to play alongside Robinson next season. The Seattle natives have been friends since the second grade and together led Rainier Beach to the 3A state title in 2002. While Williams never had the chance to play high school ball with Crawford, he also considers the nine-year NBA veteran a good friend and mentor as well.

“We all knew each other for the same amount of time, but (my relationship) is stronger with Nate because I grew up around him,” Williams said. “Jamal is just older, so he’s like that distant big brother you look up to because he was in the NBA before everybody. He’s just like the older brother for everybody.”

With the support of Robinson and Crawford, it’s safe to say Williams has a pretty good understanding of what to expect not only in the NBA but in New York. He saw how Robinson elevated his game in his first season under Head Coach Mike D’Antoni and would welcome the opportunity to play in the Knicks’ up-tempo system.

“I would love it because it’s the same type of system he had with Phoenix,” Williams said. “And having that system here, getting to play with a great guard in Nate, great wings and great big men will benefit my game a lot.”

An NBA-caliber athlete with an extremely versatile skill-set, Williams says he can play three positions and considers himself as a player “who does the little things” on the court. He averaged 12.5 points, 8.6 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 2.3 steals last season as he helped lead the Cardinals to their first Big East regular season and tournament titles.

Williams’ workout with the Knicks was his 12th overall so far, with one more planned for Friday in New Jersey. He is projected to go anywhere from the Warriors at No. 7 to the Mavericks at No. 22, making him one of the most intriguing prospects in the draft.

“I consider myself as that player like Scottie Pippen,” Williams said. “Not saying I’m Scottie Pippen, but when Scottie Pippen got drafted, he got drafted fifth I believe and they thought he was going to go 25th or something. Teams fell in love with him and he went fifth. I’m just hoping it’s the same thing with me.”

And if all plays out right for Williams, he could be sharing a backcourt with Robinson once again.