Williams has solid debut at Summer League
Ziaire Williams took just 90 seconds to give Memphis Grizzlies fans a proper introduction to why he was taken with the 10th overall pick. Williams leaped to steal a pass from the Brooklyn Nets, then raced ahead for an uncontested dunk in the first quarter. It was the easiest welcome possible to NBA Summer League.
"Getting that first dunk, it was a good feeling for sure," said Williams, who finished with seven points on 3-for-7 shooting. "I read the play really well and it was good to hear the crowd cheer. I haven't heard fans since high school so that was cool."
He didn't score much after that but Williams' first game showed enough promise in the Grizzlies' 91-84 win in Las Vegas. Williams' hustle and ability to run the floor impressed his teammates despite only being able to practice once after the Grizzlies' trade involving his draft
rights was finalized Saturday.
"He looked great. He did a great job playing with us, finding space, finding cuts, running in transition, getting shots," center Killian Tillie said. "It's a great addition for us."
Williams started the game and finished with seven points. Besides his dunk, he added two layups off assists from Xavier Tillman and scored the Grizzlies' last point on a free throw. There were some expected jitters from the former Stanford standout. He missed some jump shots and had a late turnover in the fourth quarter after fumbling a pass.
It was a different debut than lottery picks like No. 2 overall pick Jalen Green (23 points) and No. 4 pick Scottie Barnes (18 points, 10 rebounds). But for a first impression, Williams fared well without being asked to shoulder the load
Desmond Bane did that with 32 points on six 3-pointers and his final 3pointer had Ja Morant cheering on the sidelines. Tillie also added six 3-pointers to finish with 20 points.
But Bane also lifted up Williams' spirits after he picked up a foul in the second quarter. Bane told the rookie to keep his hands up and keep being aggressive.
"I like the way he hustled and competed on defense," Bane said. "One of the guys got it going and he wanted to check him (on defense) and stick on him and I liked that, especially from a young guy," Bane said.
For Williams, it was a good learning experience after not playing in a game since March. During an interview on ESPN2, Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins said he just told him to have fun and compete. Williams did just that. After not playing in front of fans in his lone year at Stanford, he was glad to get reacquainted to a cheering crowd and his new teammates.
"I'm just letting it come to me," Williams said. "As the game went on, I got more comfortable so I'm just trying to lead this over to the next game and be more confident.."
The Grizzlies, who are the defending NBA Summer League champions, will face the Miami Heat on Wednesday (4 p.m., NBATV).