The Los Angeles Lakers signed Ziaire Williams in free agency, and to begin the season, the young forward has been everything the team hoped he’d be and more. However, Williams was recently sidelined with a foot injury for a few games, and though he did return, there could still be some lingering questions about the minor health issue.
Williams missed three games for the Lakers with a foot injury. He was previously Los Angeles’ starting power forward, but in his first matchup back, he lost that position to Jake LaRavia.
He finished the Lakers’ win over the Miami Heat with nine points, two rebounds, and two assists, and there’s hope he’ll get back to his normal form after sitting out with the foot injury.
Lakers Get Good News As Ziaire Williams Feels ‘Great’ After Injury
Williams was originally sidelined with a foot injury last week, the same game the Lakers sat Luka Doncic. Head coach JJ Redick reportedly decided to remain cautious with the two key players.
“JJ Redick says that both Luka Doncic and Ziaire Williams woke up sore after the Blazers game. He says the Lakers are being “cautious” with both of them by holding them out vs LAC as the team plays Game 2 out of a five games in seven days stretch,” ESPN’s Dave McMenamin wrote in a post on X.
Williams then sat for two more games with left foot and heel soreness, but after originally being questionable for Monday night, ended up playing, though not in his typical starting lineup role.
After the win, Williams provided a positive injury update.
“Yeah, it was great,” Williams said. “All the glory to God. I felt good out there. Happy to be back with my teammates. Big shoutout to my training staff and the people behind the scenes that helped me get back out there. Definitely appreciative.”
But despite that, the key starter also mentioned he doesn’t know what caused the initial foot injury.
“I don’t,” he responded when asked if he knew how the injury started. “It kind of just flared up out of nowhere. But we got some of the best doctors in the world and I’m in good hands. I’m here to stay, hopefully as long as I can. And I feel great right now. I’ll be back out there on Wednesday.”
As mentioned, Williams didn’t get back his starting lineup role after his injury return, and it remains to be seen if he’ll start over LaRavia in the Lakers’ next game. Still, Redick appeared pleased about the switch, but was confident both players are solid options to start at the power forward spot.
Los Angeles Got Back A Key Starter In Heat Win
Writing about Williams’ injury return, Tyler Watts believes the 25-year-old forward ‘picked up right where he left off’ for the Lakers.
“Head coach JJ Redick didn’t say Williams was on minutes’ restriction, but he came off the bench and only played 15 (minutes) against the Heat. It didn’t matter. The 6’9 forward was right back to sinking open threes and playing stout defense,” he wrote.
“Williams finished with nine points, two rebounds, two assists, and one steal. He sank three 3-pointers and was exactly the type of player Luka maximizes. The 25-year-old didn’t try to do too much. Doncic looked unstoppable from the jump, so Ziaire waited for open looks and knocked them down. His focus was mostly on the defensive end, which is exactly what the Lakers need.”
Though not a big-name free-agent addition, Williams was praised by Lakers teammates over the summer for his defensive potential. That’s exactly what the team was looking for over the offseason, and it looks like they got the type of 3-and-D wing they needed to play alongside Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves.
“The 6’9 forward has made 10 of his 21 3-point attempts, but that isn’t all. Williams has added some timely cuts and transition finishes to be scoring a career-high 10.8 points per game on 55.9 percent shooting from the field,” Watts added. “He isn’t driving into a crowd or trying to do too much. Williams is taking advantage of open looks and thriving playing off The Don.
In five games so far this season, Williams is averaging 10.8 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 2.2 assists on 55.9/47.6/85.7 shooting splits. He’s only making $2.8 million this season, and while currently the fourth-highest and second-most efficient scorer for the team, Los Angeles is getting a bargain on the forward.
It’s uncertain if Williams will return to the Lakers’ starting lineup after his injury, but Redick and the coaching staff might continue to take a cautious approach with his recovery and keep LaRavia in the role for the time being.
“I just feel like there’s balance with those lineups (with LaRavia or Williams starting),” Redick said pregame on Monday. “With Luka [Dončić] and [Austin Reaves] being the primary creators and [Walker Kessler]‘s rim rolling and running. The other guys being able to guard multiple positions. … It’s not surprising to me that Jake being in that lineup with those guys is good for us, because there’s intrinsic knowledge with what we’re trying to do. Just having another guy out there who knows our stuff has been helpful.”
Lakers Receive Good News As Injured Starter Now Feels ‘Great’