Lakers forward Ziaire Williams discussed his career-best shooting efficiency during his postgame press conference following the team’s 138-117 win over the Miami Heat on Monday night at Crypto.com Arena, in comments reported by ClutchPoints. Williams returned from a three-game absence with left foot soreness, coming off the bench for the first time this season after starting the team’s first four games.
Williams finished with nine points on 3-of-6 shooting from three-point range in 15 minutes, adding two rebounds, two assists and a steal. Through five games, ClutchPoints has him at 55.9 percent from the field and 46.7 percent from three, both career highs.
Asked about the jump in efficiency, Williams credited the attention defenses are paying to his teammates. “Like I said, they’re sending two to Luka [Dončić], two to AR [Austin Reaves] every time,” Williams said. He added that he had put in the work to be ready for those opportunities: “I put a lot of work this summer.”
Williams also addressed how the team has handled opposing defenses blitzing Dončić, saying there is “always going to be a 4-on-3 advantage on the back side” and that the key is “countering on those advantages, looking opposite for corner threes, finishing at the rim.” He described the roster’s lack of ego as what allows that counter-attack to function, saying the group wants “to see each other succeed.”
The Quote Confirms a Trend, It Doesn’t Create One
Williams’ answer is less a revelation than a player narrating something the shot chart already shows: teams are sending extra defenders at Dončić and Reaves, and Williams is one of the beneficiaries getting cleaner catch-and-shoot looks.
The more notable detail sits alongside the quote rather than in it. Williams did not reclaim his starting spot on returning from the foot injury, with Jake LaRavia holding it instead — a call this site has argued the Lakers are right to make. That makes his answer partly a player publicly accepting a reduced role while pointing out the floor-spacing benefits that come with it.
Whether Williams Starts Again Is Still Open
The Lakers play at the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday, Nov. 4. Whether Williams returns to the starting lineup or keeps coming off the bench behind LaRavia is a question head coach JJ Redick has not resolved publicly.
Source: ClutchPoints.
Leave a Reply