The Grizzlies received another major blow as Ja Morant will miss at least a couple of weeks due to a Grade 1 calf strain. Already sitting at 4-10, the team is missing four point guards and big man Brandon Clarke on top of their current struggles. Vince Williams Jr. is a name to watch for in the coming weeks, as the Grizzlies desperately need more players to step up.
Selected 47th overall in the 2022 NBA Draft, Williams Jr. sparingly played as a rookie but made a sizable impact in the 2023/24 NBA season. Since then, Williams Jr. has dealt with constant injuries, making it a struggle to regain his consistency. Recently, Williams Jr. has seen an uptick in minutes and will have even more opportunities to play given the hits to the Grizzlies' backcourt depth.
This season has produced mixed results for Vince Williams Jr.
Last season didn't go well for Williams Jr., as he struggled with multiple injuries and his offense regressed. The sample size is limited, but Williams Jr. appears to be more effective offensively than last year. Williams Jr. has a true shooting percentage of 56.1% compared to 50.4% last season. He is also posting a career-best 20.7% assist percentage on a career-high usage rate of 19.5%.
Vince Williams Jr. is getting closer to his best, but there are still valid concerns. Despite shooting better on threes and at the free throw line, Williams Jr. is shooting a career low of 47.4% on twos. Williams Jr. also currently has a 21.9% turnover rate, which would be his career high by over 4%. The Grizzlies need better half-court offense, and he must improve in those areas, as he will play more in the coming weeks.
He saw a significant dip in defensive playmaking last year, but he is starting to regain his footing. Currently, Williams Jr. is recording 1.9 steals per 100 possessions (71st percentile) and 0.6 blocks per 100 possessions (56th percentile). For a Grizzlies team that is still looking to make significant defensive improvements, Williams Jr. could end up being an answer.
Williams Jr. missed the first five games of this season but has appeared in every game since. Given his injury history and the current crisis facing the Grizzlies, it will be essential for him to stay healthy. Williams Jr. only appeared in 27 games last season after playing in 52 games during his breakthrough 2023/24 season. Now, Williams Jr. will be given plenty of opportunities to stick in the Memphis rotation.
Vince Williams Jr. has played over 20 minutes in the last few games and even started at point guard in their blowout defeat to the Boston Celtics. Williams Jr. will likely continue to play at least 20 minutes a night, given the team's current injury crisis. The next few weeks could revive Williams Jr.'s previous momentum, or contribute to him falling in the rotation as the Grizzlies get healthy.