With three games done and over with for the Los Angeles Lakers, JJ Redick is still unready to commit to anything concrete when it comes to the starting lineup. The third-year coach said as much when speaking to reporters after Lakers practice over the weekend.
"We’ve certainly seen glimpses of things we like. It's hard because we've just been a little disjointed with the guys being banged up, so there's nothing definitive yet."
Those comments do jump out a bit, because one potential starting wing candidate is involved in those injuries that Redick alluded to. That, of course, would be Ziaire Williams.
Williams is dealing with a foot contusion. That has caused him to miss the last two preseason games for the Lakers after an impressive display in the opener against the Sacramento Kings. Perhaps Redick just needs to see more of what he did then to finalize the decision of starting Ziaire.
Ziaire Williams' injury has kept him from fully securing Lakers starting wing spot
Williams looked fantastic in his preseason debut for the Lakers. Defensively, there was a ton of effort and physicality. Ziaire was picking up full court and delivered a performance that was imperfect but impressive.
Offensively, Williams fit comfortably within the dribble, pass, shoot principles of the Lakers. Ziaire finished the night notching 13 points, shooting 4-of-6 from the field and 3-of-3 from beyond the arc, in 21 minutes on the court.
It was a strong enough game on both ends that most would still consider Williams one of the frontrunners to start despite his absence. However, it is just as understandable why Redick would not make that call based off one performance. The demand to see more is reasonable.
By contrast, someone like Quentin Grimes has given Redick three solid games to feel good about. One would imagine the Lakers guard has one of the two starting jobs all but wrapped up. In all fairness, many felt that way about Grimes before he even played a game for Los Angeles. That is the good type of confirmation bias, though.
Williams had been a darling of Lakers fandom before suiting up, too. In his first preseason outing, the young wing offered a lot to back up those good feelings.
With two more games ahead, Williams just needs to bring it home. Ziaire will have two more opportunities to stamp his ticket to the starting lineup against the Golden State Warriors and Denver Nuggets. The Lakers forward should not be rushed back if his foot is in any serious danger. However, one would imagine anything he can offer in those games will help Redick make his decision.
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