The Grizzlies were quiet this summer, settling for the draft of Zach Edey and the extension of Luke Kennard. But to offer one more year to their shooter, Memphis had to trade Ziaire Williams to the Nets in order to avoid the “luxury tax” and the sanctions linked to the “first apron”.
“I wasn't surprised. The GM (Zach Kleiman) kind of warned me so I wouldn't be completely shocked. But when it happened, I was like, 'Holy crap, this is real now,'” he recognizes. “Like I said, I'm excited for this opportunity, I'm grateful for what I've experienced in Memphis, and I'm looking forward to this next chapter in my life.”
Since his Draft in 2022, the winger has been quite inconsistent, capable of chaining two weeks with an average of 13 points and falling back to 4 points in the following two weeks. Last season, Ziaire Williams only played 51 games for 15 starts at 8.2 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 20 minutes of play on average. The fault, in part, is injuries…
“You just have to stay healthy. Stay on the field. When you’re on the field, you’re in rhythm, you feel good and things are a lot easier,” Williams explains. “That's why I say I'm really trying to work on my physicality and make sure I'm available to play. Availability is the best quality, so as long as I have that, everything else will take care of itself.”
A new environment to discover
This is also one of the keys to his upcoming season, and this summer, the former Grizzlies player really insisted on physical preparation.
“Because I had a nasty little back injury last year, I was in the gym every day, getting treatment, trying to put my body first,” says the new Nets player. “And then on the court, I’m just doing all the simple things, perfecting my shot, reading one-on-one situations, and trying to be great at two or three things rather than trying to be good at a bunch. We put together a great plan this summer, and I’ve definitely improved a lot. I can’t wait to get back and show the work I’ve been putting in behind the scenes.”
After three seasons under the leadership of Taylor Jenkins, next season will be the occasion to discover a new coach in the person of Jordi Fernandez.
“I’m looking forward to it. You know, it’s definitely going to be a little different, but it’s a great opportunity for me to keep moving forward and show my abilities,” he concludes. He's very low-key, very relaxed, super welcoming. He's been great. We've had some really good discussions. He's going to be honest with you. He's not going to hide anything. His biggest goal is to bring everyone together and have fun. That's his biggest principle.”
