Troy Williams has been the Memphis Grizzlies’ preseason hero, but will that earn him a roster spot?

When the Memphis Grizzlies invited players such as Troy Williams to training camp, it was mostly just to fill out the 20-man preseason roster. Now Williams, the undrafted Indiana University product, has made a compelling case for why he belongs in the NBA—but has it been compelling enough? 

Troy Williams was a key contributor to the Indiania Hoosiers in college, but didn’t show up on many NBA teams’ draft boards. As a matter of fact, he was passed over 60 times during the draft despite his extremely high scoring efficiency and ability to crash the boards. 

He spent time with the Phoenix Suns during the NBA Summer League and posted solid numbers, scoring 12.33 points per game in six appearances. It didn’t mean all that much, though. After all, some summer teams—like the New York Knicks, for example—were, for a lack of a better word, horrendous. 

Charlie Erling, co-host of the “It’s Always Sunny in Phoenix” basketball podcast, spent some time over the summer watching Williams in person.

"“Right off the bat, Troy Williams looked like a perfect fit on the Suns’ Summer League squad.  Williams seemed to thrive in the fast-paced game, showing off his ability to get up and down the court, navigate through traffic and finish above the rim.  His efficient shooting from long-range was surprising and impressed me the most from Williams, who only attempted 1.2 3-pointers per game as a Hoosier.  I like to think of him as a more athletic, less polished, T.J. Warren.”"

The Memphis chapter

The Memphis Grizzlies and Chris Wallace decided to add Williams for the preseason, a time when teams can have 20 players on the roster, five more than the ceiling for the regular season.

Troy Williams’ play didn’t falter.

• vs. Orlando: 18:08 minutes, 3 points (1-for-5), 2 rebounds, 1 steal, 1 block,
• vs. Atlanta: 22:27 minutes, 15 points (6-for-9), 3 rebounds
• vs. 76ers: 26:31 minutes, 22 points (8-for-13), 7 rebounds, 2 steals
• vs. Thunder: 24:31 minutes, 6 points (1-for-4), 2 rebounds, 1 steal
• vs. Rockets: 41:32 minutes, 23 points (7-for-15, 5-for-11 from 3), 4 rebounds, 4 steals, 1 block

Here’s the thing: The Memphis Grizzlies entered the preseason with 14 players with guaranteed money in their contracts, leaving only one roster spot for opening night.

Other players, most notably the Memphis man himself, D.J. Stephens, have also had strong showings in the preseason, so the competition is for that spot is rigid.

Since a lackluster opening night, Williams has been a stud on the floor, even finding himself in the starting lineup for two games. Scoring-wise, he’s at 20.6 points per 36 minutes and shooting a scalding 22-of-41 from the floor. He’s only behind $153 million man, Mike Conley, in scoring with 13.8 points per game.

It’s not a volume scoring type of deal either; Williams’ true shooting percentage is at 65.7 and his effective field goal percentage stands at 62.2 over the past four games.

115 minutes isn’t a large sample size, but only one player that played more than 215 minutes last season, Stephen Curry, shot at a better rate. 

Williams is converting on 46.6 percent of his 3s over that same span, but that’s not all he can do.

https://twitter.com/ProjeckHoops/status/787493778605080576

So, what now?

As stated earlier, there’s only one open roster spot for the Memphis Grizzlies. The club traded for marksman Troy Daniels, who hasn’t lived up to expectations, shooting 3-for-20 overall and 0-for-9 from behind the arc during the preseason.

Andrew Harrison, despite a rough start, has solidified his spot on the Grizzlies. That leaves Jordan Adams, Vince Carter and Daniels as players that Memphis would consider cutting to make room for training camp invitees on opening night. It’s unlikely it’ll cut a future first-ballot hall of fame inductee and the organization seems committed to helping Adams reach his full potential once healthy. Is Daniels’ cold streak enough to warrant Chris Wallace swallowing his guaranteed money to open another roster spot?

Only time will tell.

Williams will make his final impression on Oct. 19 as the Grizzlies visit the Timberwolves.

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