The Memphis Grizzlies have given an injury update on third-year wing Vince Williams Jr., who has been out with a Grade 3 right ankle sprain since Nov. 19. The 24-year-old was given an approximate four week timeline for reevaluation.
The @memgrizz today announced the following medical update for Vince Williams Jr. pic.twitter.com/LrUnTYYt9B
— Grizzlies PR (@GrizzliesPR) December 20, 2024
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Now, the Grizzlies expect him to “return to play within 3-6 weeks.” That would mean that Williams will be suiting up sometime between Jan. 10–31. With the NBA’s All-Star Break beginning on Feb. 14, that should give Williams up to five weeks to re-establish his rhythm once he returns.
A New Role, An Old One
Known more for his defense, Williams once looked like the team’s future starter at small forward.
However, 2024 No. 39 pick Jaylen Wells has been superb since being promoted to the first unit. That being said, Williams’s understated versatility could help him be even more impactful off the bench. To that point, he averaged 14.8 points, 6.2 rebounds, 5.3 assists, and 1.3 steals per contest in his final 24 games of 2023-24.
The primary question is how Memphis plans to manage their depth. There’s strength in numbers but they have more rotation-caliber players than is ideal in terms of team chemistry.
Luke Kennard’s Replacement?
The Grizzlies were likely hoping that they moved past the injury bug after their 2023-24 campaign was all but lost to it. However, that experience may be one reason why they’ve started the 2024-25 season at 18-9, the second-best record in the West. Though Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins has at times been criticized for his decisions, he clearly entered the 2024 offseason wanting to make his team less reliant on star talent.
The result has been an offensive system that relies on pace, space, and ball-movement.
Jenkins didn’t invent those pillars. In fact, they’re commonplace. Nonetheless, he and his team have bought into the new system, breathing life into it. This has led to the Grizzlies ranking first in pace (104.9), first in points per game (122.9), fifth in offensive rating (117.2), and second in assists per game (30.5).
Their biggest issue is defense, as they rank 14th in opponent’s points per game (113.0), 28th in opponent’s three-point attempts (40.2), 28th in opponent’s free-throw attempts (25.8), and 27th in personal fouls (21.7). Some of this is a natural byproduct of the pace they play. Teams that get up shots in a hurry tend to allow a lot of attempts as well.
However, Memphis also has a couple of players who are weak links at that end. As it relates to Williams, fellow wing Luke Kennard may be one of the best shooters in NBA history, but doesn’t offer much defensively. Replacing Kennard —who averages 19.9 minutes per game this season —with Williams could do wonders for them.
That doesn’t mean Kennard won’t make it through the season with the Grizzlies. If Williams’s three-ball continues to fall though, it’s definitely a possibility.
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