Memphis Grizzlies: 3 ways Ziaire Williams can make the starting lineup
If the last scenario had you grimacing, this one will likely have you calling Kleiman a genius.
You’d be calling him a genius because Ziaire Williams would be playing so well that he looks like a steal as the 10th pick in the 2021 NBA Draft.
If Ziaire Williams outplays Kyle Anderson or Dillon Brooks, the Memphis Grizzlies will have no choice but to start him
Williams may be more NBA-ready than most are giving credit. Count Dan Favale of Bleacher Report as someone who believes Williams may not be a project after all.
Favale, after watching Ziaire Williams in the 2021 NBA Summer League had this to say about the Memphis Grizzlies rookie:
"“… his offensive feels has flirted with divinity. He has looked at home working off the baseline, dribbled into some jumpers, taken drives all the way to the rim, got off catch-and-fire treys and even uncorked an impossible-to-guard step-back.”"
To play his way into the starting lineup for the Grizzlies (i.e. outplay Anderson or Brooks), he will have to play like he was at Sierra Canyon instead of how he was playing his freshman year at Stanford.
These are four-year and seven-year veterans in the NBA that he’s chasing right now. But to nab a starting spot, his production will likely have to outpace that of Brooks or Anderson.
Last season, Brooks averaged 17.2 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game.
Anderson averaged 12.4 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per game last season for the Memphis Grizzlies.
Ziaire Williams is capable of doing this for the Memphis Grizzlies— he put up great numbers at Sierra Canyon, averaging 15 points 7.9 rebounds, and 3.6 assists.
In his freshman season at Stanford, Williams’ production dropped slightly, averaging 10.7 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 2.2 assists.
Judging Williams based only on his freshman season at Stanford would be like your boss giving you a performance review and only utilizing the first 15 weeks on the job to critique you. Oh and by the way, those first 15 weeks happened to be some of the most trying weeks of your life.
Not only was Ziaire Williams in a new environment, but he and his team were also displaced due to COVID-19 restrictions in their home county and home state during the college basketball season. The team was basically on a four-month road trip, according to a profile from the Memphis Commercial Appeal. And sadly, Williams lost two family members during the college basketball season, which weight heavily on him.
Williams will have a fresh start for the Memphis Grizzlies and has been putting the work in to accelerate his growth to have an impactful rookie campaign.