With the NBA season fast approaching, the Lakers have numerous lineup decisions to iron out. None is more immediate than the starting lineup.
This can shift during the season, but four out of five are likely locked in with Luka Dončić, Austin Reaves, Quentin Grimes, and Walker Kessler.
The fifth can go in a multitude of directions, whether it’s an offensive-leaning spacing four with Sandro Mamukelashvili, the high defensive pedigree vet in Matisse Thybulle or an uber-athletic defender looking for a fresh start.
For the latter, enter Ziaire Williams, who has the highest-upside wing profile on the team and a skill set that matches what the Lakers desperately need.
Williams enters his sixth season in the league, bouncing around from being the No. 10 pick with the Grizzlies to trying to find a home with the Nets. Listed at 6’9″ with a 6’10” wingspan, he has intriguing tools as a potential disruptor.
Tools mean nothing without the desire to use them, though. As is the case with most young players, the defensive concentration comes in flashes. The tanking Nets won 46 total games in the two years Williams was on the roster, which isn’t exactly the environment where high energy and defensive focus are cultivated.
When locked in, Williams showed a level of versatility left for the best defenders in the league. Displaying good technique and quickness navigating screens on the perimeter, Brooklyn tagged him on top playmakers where he held his own.
In the clip below, he’s matched with Jalen Brunson at the top of the key. Defending a ball screen, the reach-in gives up the first step. He quickly recovers, avoids the foul while chasing behind and cleanly blocks the shot to ignite the break the other way.
While composure and solid fundamentals are critical, Williams brings athletic defensive playmaking to a team lacking it elsewhere. His length allowed him to play back on ball handlers and still recover in time to block 3-point attempts.
He collected just 0.4 blocks per game but was always alert and opportunistic, including coming over for weakside denials with his quick-twitch jump.
Great hands and excellent timing cause havoc for opposing offenses. In the clip below, he waits for Kevin Durant to turn his head before quickly swiping the ball free and heading the other way.
Williams gets a ton of unexpected steals in the backcourt, patiently waiting for the offense to relax and bring their guard down. The chaos creator led the Nets with 3.2 deflections per game, a number that would have led the Lakers as well.
With a cluster of wings vying for minutes, defense will get Williams on the floor, while offense will determine whether he stays.
It’s no secret how the Lakers offense will run. Luka and Reaves will eat a majority of the offensive possessions and shoulder the bulk of playmaking. Whatever is left will go to Grimes and Kessler for finishing or short roll touches.
The presumed fifth starter will need to be productive without any offense running through them. Years removed from his original draft-night potential, this role as a contributor to high-level winning fits his archetype.
As is typical for any supporting player in the modern NBA, it starts and ends with the ability to make an open 3-point shot. Although the soon-to-be 25-year-old has never shot above 34% from 3-point range, as he did last season, there is hope he can eventually find the range.
Williams has taken over four attempts from behind the arc per game over the last two seasons, revealing little apprehension. Last year, he hit 41% on wide-open attempts, tracked with a defender six plus feet away.
Attaining a dependable jumper, even slightly, not only raises the impact he makes on the other end but opens up the room to reveal his timely cutting, attacking the basket or lobs his new guards love to throw.
One place athletic wings with questionable jumpers end up around the league is the dunker spot. It’s a tougher place to rotate help to and it opens the door for quick slips behind the defense.
Watch below as he’s stationed in the corner and slides toward the rim as the action unfolds. The short roll pass opens the three-on-two advantage, leading to the lob at the basket.
In the clip below, he sets an off-ball screen. He quickly notices the defense pre-switching the action and correctly counters by slipping to the basket. Williams gets on his trampoline for the athletic finish over contesting Aaron Gordon.
Paired with young, unproven ball handlers, Williams was still in the efficient 81st percentile on low volume as a cutter and finished 66% of his attempts at the basket last year.
He’s a prototypical 3-and-D player if the shot comes around, with a game in hopes of mirroring successful players such as Derick Jones Jr.
While he’s recently said all the right things, questions remain about a shaky jumper and defensive engagement. If Williams can put the offense together and maintain his defensive focus, he can find himself in line for many of the available minutes left on the team.
You can follow Raj on X at @RajChipalu
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