Vince Williams Jr. Has Made Himself a Factor for The Memphis Grizzlies
On/off stats are finicky. They’re not an end all be all encompassing of goodness, but rather an potential indicator of impact.
In a season that has been pockmarked by injury, inconsistency, and a struggle to generate anything easy without Ja Morant (the Grizzlies are dead last in offense), second year wing Vince Williams Jr. has the highest on/off rating of any player on roster that’s played 100 minutes or more.
He’s already played the triple the minutes he did as a rookie, and has found himself in the starting lineup over the past 4 games. While he may not be the starting wing of the future in Memphis, that he’s supplanted so many players drafted ahead of him by the same team is telling of his impact, and the utility he brings.
Out of regular rotation players for the Griz, only 4 are shooting above league average from deep; Desmond Bane, Luke Kennard, Jacob Gilyard, and Williams. Gilyard is a replacement player and starter that shoots on low volume, and Kennard has played just 8 games this season (although he is expected back soon). With those additional brushstrokes, it’s easy to see how the Grizzlies are 29th in 3 point percentage in the league. Injuries and early season bad luck haven’t helped, but this group was 23rd in the same category last season and 17th the year prior.
Losing any volume and efficiency from the lineup drastically hurts Memphis’ floor spacing. That’s made Williams essential, as he’s hitting 43.9% of his 4.1 triples per game since he became part of the regular rotation ten games ago. Williams has the 20th highest three point attempt rate in the league (amongst players who take 2 or more per game, 229 players total) over that time frame, 75.9% of all his shot attempts coming from beyond the arc.
Williams isn’t coming off intricate actions, pulling up in transition, or flying off movement; he’s just rising and firing with quickness and confidence. That’s exactly what this team needs. It’s simple, it’s effective, and it punishes defensive help with how efficient a shooter he is.
He relocates and organizes himself as ball-handlers hit the paint. He has a high release and gets good height on the jump itself. He’s comfortable getting a side-step in, handling a hard closeout, and taking more contested looks. Williams plays his role and plays it well.
He keeps the ball moving well in the flow of the offense and is smart in how he reads the court off the ball, knowing when and where to relocate and shift to as his teammates and the ball move. When you have a 12% usage rate, you have to be adept at playing without the ball to be at your most effective.
Watch Williams here.
The Rockets have Fred VanVleet guarding Williams, a much smaller player, although a tenacious all around defender. Williams comes up to screen for Desmond Bane who cuts towards the basket, removing Dillon Brooks from him with the switch. He then clears to the corner to respace after there’s no traction on the potential post-up for Jaren Jackson and the ball swings to the second side simultaneously
Bismack Biyombo flows into a DHO for Bane, it gets denied, and then the ball gets pitched to Williams who then works back baseline and hits Biyombo with the swift pocket pass as he finishes a touch shot.
This is a small play in the grand scheme, but one that defines the small details that make Williams work.
If that screen isn’t set well or effectively, there probably isn’t a switch forced (FVV is a very good defender, as is Brooks, but getting a smaller defender on Bane is key here). If Williams waits around a half second or doesn’t automatically respace, the action clogs up and the Griz have to reset. Ditto if he holds the ball once he gets it from Biyombo.
He rarely holds the ball or freezes up, helping set an offensive flow for a team that has lacked it in a big way.
He’s automatic on that baseline drive and pocket pass. He makes swing passes and skips routinely against set defenses. He just makes the mall move quickly and to the right places.
It will be key to watch him continue to grow inside the arc. He can finish, but it’s not his forte right now. He seems more comfortable passing and hasn’t been as capable of creating off the dribble if he doesn’t already have room to work. That should change a bit with Ja Morant back in the fold, but it’s key to note with respect to his development. Can he tighten his handle a bit? Can he get a bit stronger at playing through and initiating contact instead of being bumped off? Those are things I bank on developing with reps, willpower, and environmental buy-in.
I find it worth reminding myself here; Vince Williams is probably not THE answer for the Griz, but he is certainly part of the equation, consistently reinforcing how vital it is that the Grizzlies have serviceable two way players. Him leaping other members of the “young core” is not that surprising when you look at the aggregate of where Memphis is.
Put together how many players in the last few drafts by Memphis on the wing that are consistently hitting shots and holding up defensively, and you’re pretty solely left with Williams.
Being a neutral or better on both ends is a large reason why Williams has earned his run. He may be just 6’4, but don’t let that fool you, he plays with phenomenal functional strength as a defender. He’s remarkably long and utilizes his wingspan well, particularly on closeouts. Williams has this tendency to swoop in with these limby screaming closeouts where he flexes his full wingspan like his life depends on it, and I am so here for it.
He navigates screens. He’s active in passing lanes. He makes real plays as a weakside help defender around the rim. He’s just flat out good and a very intuitive defender.
As Memphis seeks to reinvigorate their season and make a push in the West back towards playoff standing, Vince Williams has made himself a factor moving forward.
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