The Los Angeles Lakers picked up a 125-117 win over the in-city rival Clippers on Friday night to start the season 2-0. This game did give fans a bit of a scare, with Luka Doncic doing his best too-cool-for-school approach with his shot selection for most of the first half, but LA rallied behind a big Austin Reaves game.
Ziaire Williams also mattered in this win. Through two games and preseason, I can’t praise him enough.
Ziaire Williams is hooping to start the Lakers season
After striking out on Jonathan Kuminga (which isn’t aging horribly despite the Minnesota Timberwolves looking good), the Lakers had questions about who that Swiss Army knife wing would be for them. Williams has answered the call to start the season.
In the Clippers game, he dropped 14 points, five rebounds, and two steals while shooting 5-of-7 from the field. Also worth a shout: he got Kris Dunn T’d up by complaining to the ref about Dunn not giving LA the ball when it was their possession.
The best thing Williams has done since arriving in LA, and the reason I think JJ Redick will continue rewarding him with more minutes and opportunities, is how smart he plays. With Williams, there’s no forcing shots and rarely any big defensive mistakes. More importantly, he's incredibly decisive.
Ziaire Williams fits the Lakers like a glove
It doesn’t matter if Williams is cutting to the basket, making a pass, taking a 3-point shot, or switching defensively; whatever decision he’s making is a quick reaction. That is perfect alongside Doncic.
Not to get off on a Luka tangent, but something he doesn't get nearly enough credit for is his processing ability and how he sees the game. Luka often sees things before they happen.
While that can be a strength, it can also make team-building hard as a front office leader. Because he sees things so fast, he can be ahead of his teammates sometimes. That is why surrounding him with players who process the game quickly, like Williams, is so important.
Coming out of Stanford, he was viewed as a jumbo creator and someone who, despite his size, could be a point guard-like type because he saw the game super well. While that never fully translated into him being this jumbo playmaker, it did help his transition to becoming a role player because he reads the game so well.
That natural skill, paired with the improved defense and shooting touch since coming into the league, has made him this all-around weapon for the Lakers. Paired with Luka, it’s dangerous.
Another thing I’d be wrong not to mention about Williams that was in my game notes was that his hustle really stood out, and he was opportunistic on the glass. With the Clippers undermanned at the five, their focus whenever a shot went up was on keeping Walker Kessler off the glass. That created a ton of openings for Williams to crash and generate second chances.
Williams had a lot of fans saying "Who?" when he was signed away from the Brooklyn Nets this past summer, but he’s making a name for himself in the purple and gold early.
He has the tools and smarts to fit this group and Redick's vision perfectly, and through two games, that’s been evident. Good stuff, Rob Pelinka—now go get a backup big.
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