Ziaire Williams embracing problem to be Nets’ high defender

Ziaire Williams has a possibility for a contemporary begin, and whereas he’s nonetheless adjusting to a brand new group and new metropolis, that doesn’t imply he’s backing down from head coach Jordi Fernandez’s problem to be a high defender for the Nets.

“Hell yeah,” Williams mentioned about that aim Thursday, on Day 3 of Nets coaching camp.

The 2021 No. 10-overall choose spent three seasons with the Grizzlies and received misplaced within the roster earlier than Memphis let Williams go in a cost-cutting transfer.

Nevertheless, he attributes his expertise to these years and Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins’ emphasis on protection.

“I thank Taylor for the ideas he taught me as a result of coming right here, I already knew quite a lot of stuff that they had been instructing due to him, and I’m tremendous appreciative for that,” Williams mentioned at HSS Coaching Middle. “So [assistant] coach Steve [Hetzel], you recognize, he’s our essential defensive man. We’ve been watching quite a lot of movie collectively, and he’s had quite a lot of good issues to say. And, after all, there’s a pair issues I must work on. So it’s been nice, man. However positively shout out to Taylor. He helped me quite a bit on the defensive finish for positive.”

Williams, 23, is certainly one of many gamers attempting to suit into the Nets rebuild after a 32-50 season and the lack of Mikal Bridges within the offseason to the crosstown rival Knicks.

The Nets’ final rebuilding years had been from 2016-2019, and so they took discarded expertise below their wing and efficiently developed them into new gamers.

They noticed D’Angelo Russell grow to be an All-Star in 2018. They circled Joe Harris and Spencer Dinwiddie into strong gamers.

Now, they’re taking over the job once more, and Williams, who reportedly seemed strong in summer time exercises, is a brand new goal.

The 6-foot-9 ahead believes certainly one of his finest traits is inflicting “havoc” on the court docket.

He desires to tackle anybody from guard to middle on protection, and offensively, he thrives on reducing alternatives, in addition to on the wing for catch-and-shoot openings.

“A contemporary begin is nice, however on the finish of the day, you want consistency since you can’t maintain having contemporary begins,” Fernandez mentioned Tuesday of each Williams and fifth-year guard Killian Hayes. “You can’t say, ‘Oh, I’m finished right here. I’ll go some other place.’ Generally, while you get hit within the mouth, it’s good to get well after which begin and have a look at your self within the mirror and say, ‘What did I do flawed that I can repair myself?’

“The context or the opposite individuals, that you simply can’t management. However you may management what you are able to do. And a contemporary begin, I’m good with it, however I’m gonna decide everyone from what I see day-after-day. And it’s not simply sooner or later. It’s not two days. You gotta maintain stacking days collectively.”

Williams received extra of a style of the Nets’ flare Thursday throughout a scrimmage that noticed quite a lot of physicality the day earlier than the group leaves for San Diego to proceed coaching camp.

“I imply, actually, I really feel like I’m nonetheless adjusting,” Williams mentioned. “I don’t assume I’ll actually say I’m adjusted till we begin taking part in actual video games, however I’m coming alongside very well, and studying the performs and chemistry with guys has been higher and higher. It’s been nice, man, so I’m simply trusting my work and trusting the employees every day. And like Coach [Fernandez] says, simply attempting to get one p.c higher.”

He had little time on the court docket within the NBA summer time league in Las Vegas, averaging simply 7.8 minutes throughout three video games for two.7 factors per recreation.

Final season, he had a career-high common of 8.2 factors per recreation on 40 p.c taking pictures, together with 3.5 rebounds, however he shot simply 30.7 p.c from past the arc throughout 51 video games earlier than struggling a again harm March 2 that saved him out for the rest of the season.

If the Nets like what they see from Williams and need to proceed their improvement challenge, he’s eligible for a rookie extension till Oct. 21. He’ll earn $6.1 million within the remaining season of his rookie contract.