Ziaire Williams plans to earn his place in the Lakers’ rotation by defending stars, supplying energy and making winning plays.
Ziaire Williams understands that touches and scoring opportunities will not determine whether he earns a meaningful role with the Los Angeles Lakers.
His defense might.
Williams recently discussed his arrival in Los Angeles during an interview published by the Lakers’ YouTube channel. The 24-year-old forward said putting on the uniform felt “super surreal” and outlined the qualities he intends to bring to L.A.’s revamped roster.
“Lakers fans can expect a lot of energy, a lot of hard work from me on the court,” Williams said. “Starting off on the defensive end, guarding the best player, providing the energy, making winning plays. Doing all the little things it takes to win.”
A clear path to playing time
Williams joined the Lakers on a one-year veteran minimum contract after spending last season with the Brooklyn Nets. The former No. 10 overall pick averaged a career-high 10.2 points and 1.4 steals across 56 appearances while shooting 34.3% from 3-point range.
His offensive numbers may not guarantee a regular rotation role on a deep roster, but his combination of size, length and athleticism gives him a chance to fill an important need.
Williams is 6-foot-9 and capable of defending multiple positions. If he consistently accepts difficult perimeter assignments, he could provide coach JJ Redick with another defensive option alongside Quentin Grimes, Matisse Thybulle, Jarred Vanderbilt and Walker Kessler.
That depth will be important after Marcus Smart departed for the Houston Rockets. Smart gave the Lakers a physical point-of-attack defender and an experienced voice during his lone season in Los Angeles.
Williams is not expected to replace everything Smart provided on his own. However, his willingness to guard an opponent’s top scorer could help L.A. distribute those responsibilities across several players.
Reuniting with Bronny James
The move also reunites Williams with Bronny James, his former teammate at Sierra Canyon School in Chatsworth.
“It’s going to be fun playing with Bronny again,” Williams said. “We grew a lot together at Sierra Canyon and we’ve been friends ever since. So, it’s been cool to see him make it to the big leagues and keep progressing, keep getting better, and I’m excited to be back on his team again.”
Williams enters training camp as one of several players competing for minutes on the wing. Grimes and Sandro Mamukelashvili are candidates to start, while Thybulle, Vanderbilt, Jake LaRavia, Dalton Knecht and rookie Cameron Carr could also enter the rotation.
That competition leaves Williams with little room for inconsistency, particularly as the Lakers must reduce their current 16-player standard roster to 15 before opening night.
His contract makes the signing a relatively low-risk move for Los Angeles. If Williams carries out the role he described, however, he could become considerably more valuable than his minimum salary suggests.
