1 risk Memphis Grizzlies ‘should take’ involves Ziaire Williams

The Memphis Grizzlies seem to have struck gold on the vast majority of their recent first-round draft selections. From nabbing stars such as Ja Morant (2019) and Jaren Jackson Jr. (2018), along with rising star Desmond Bane (2020), to promising youngsters like David Roddy (2022), GM Zach Kleiman has had a nose for promising talent over the last five years.

At this point, it appears his one flub during this span was opting to select Ziaire Williams with the 10 overall pick back in 2021, as the wing has yet to translate into anything more than a player with untapped potential.

And while his slow progression (has also spent time in and out of the G League) to this point may have some believing it could be time to cut ties with the 22-year-old, Zach Buckley of Bleacher Report recently suggested that one risk the Grizzlies should consider taking this coming season is actually shelling out “meaningful minutes” to the forward.

Memphis Grizzlies urged to give ‘meaningful minutes’ to Ziaire Williams

Citing their need for a new presence at the wing position following the departure of Dillon Brooks this summer, Buckley believes that shelling out ample opportunities to the likes of Williams, particularly before Morant returns from his impending 25-game suspension when coach Taylor Jenkins will then likely turn to a three-guard lineup of him, Bane, and Marcus Smart, could be a move worth making.

"“There is plenty of playmaking and quite a scoring punch coming from that trio, but it’s light on size and not exactly loaded with shooting. That’s a long-winded way of saying that while this group could work, it’s hard to imagine this is the answer to the franchise’s wing problem,” Buckley wrote.“That’s why the Grizzlies should give Williams a real shot to show whether he can be the solution. Granted, he hasn’t moved the needle much since arriving as the No. 10 pick of the 2021 draft, but his tools remain enticing, and this will only be his age-22 season. The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor once wrote that Williams had “go-to-scorer potential” with a “dynamic handle” and “playmaking upside,” so Memphis would be wise to take a longer look at his potential.”"

Naturally, the Grizzlies should desire to give their recent lottery pick more playing time within the rotation, as his lofty draft status suggests this was perceived as the original plan for the wing upon joining the franchise.

However, as Buckley also mentioned in his piece, Williams simply has yet to prove he’s worthy of such a promotion, as he has struggled mightily through his two-year tenure, boasting underwhelming averages of 7.2 points, 2.1 rebounds, and 1.0 assists while shooting 44.4 percent from the field and, in 2022-23, registered a lackluster net rating of -5.2.

Though he could theoretically show his worth during Memphis’ upcoming training camp, as of this writing there’s no reason to believe the soon-to-be third-year pro should be heading for a role increase.

Grizzlies start, bench, cut: David Roddy, Luke Kennard, Ziaire Williams

Looking at the current wing position for the Memphis Grizzlies, head coach Taylor Jenkins has some tough decisions to make when it comes to his personnel.