Лос Анжелес Лэйкерсийн бэлтгэлийн үеэр өөрийгөө бүрэн харуулж чадсан Зэйр Уильямс багийн хамгаалалтын шугамыг бэхжүүлэх гол хөзөр болох хүлээлттэй байна.
Лос Анжелес Лэйкерс багийн бүрэлдэхүүнд Лука Дончич, Остин Ривз, Уокер Кесслер нараас гадна плей-оффт амжилт гаргахад туслах шинэ хүчнүүд хэрэгтэй байгаа юм. Багийн дасгалжуулагч Жэй Жэй Редик шинэ тоглогчдын өрсөлдөөнийг өрнүүлж буй бөгөөд бэлтгэлийн явцад Зэйр Уильямс олны хүлээлтийг давж, онцгой сэтгэгдэл төрүүлээд байна.
Дөрөв дэх жилдээ NBA-д тоглож буй 25 настай Зэйр Уильямс нь 6 фут 10 инчийн далбаатай, бие бялдрын хувьд хүчирхэг, хурдан гар ажиллагаатай тоглогч юм. Лос Анжелес Лэйкерс багт дутагдаж буй өндөр түвшний, атлетик шинж чанартай хамгаалагчийн үүргийг тэрээр гүйцэтгэх боломжтой хэмээн үзэж байна. Өмнөх хоёр улиралд Брүүклин Нетс багт тоглохдоо хамгаалалтын ур чадвараа харуулсан ч багийн нийт амжилт нь тогтворгүй байсан юм.
Лос Анжелес Лэйкерсийн дасгалжуулагч Жэй Жэй Редик бэлтгэлийн эрчмийг нэмэгдүүлж, тоглогчдыг гарааны тавтын төлөө өрсөлдөхийг шаардаж байна. Аравдугаар сарын 1-нд болсон бэлтгэлийн дараа Зэйр Уильямс өрсөлдөөн ширүүн байгааг онцолж, хамгаалалтын тал дээр өөртөө итгэлтэй байгаагаа илэрхийлжээ. Хэрэв тэрээр тогтвортой тоглолтыг үзүүлж чадвал Лос Анжелес Лэйкерс багийн хамгаалалт болон амжилтын түвшин илүү дээшлэх боломжтой юм.
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It’s actually a perplexing question.
Who is the Lakers’ biggest X-factor outside of theirBig 3?
There are nine new players.
We know Luka Dončić is an offensive wizard who’s a top-four NBA player. We know Austin Reaves is a borderline All-Star. We know Walker Kessler is an elite rebounder and rim protector who’s ready to run through a wall for the Lakers.
But we also know that the best teams in the league are deep.
We know that if the Lakers are going to make any noise in the playoffs, they need a cadre of fresh legs. They need guys who are willing to star in their roles.
So, who’s the team’s dark horse? Who’s the unsuspecting player who could make a major difference?
It could be Sandro Mamukelashvili, a playmaking forward who’s already putting his stamp on the team. He’s a great scorer. He can fill in the slack when Doncic or Reaves needs a rest.
It could be Matisse Thybulle, who’s a talented wing stopper and is going to be looked at to fill the hole Marcus Smart left behind.
It could be Jake LaRavia, who’s apparently made leaps this offseason as a defender and scorer.
It could be any number of guys, ranging from the young and athletic Adou Thiero, to the 3&D-skilled Quentin Grimes, to the three-level scorer Collin Sexton.
But there’s one name that keeps coming up. Everyone mentions him. Everyone has been struck by him.
Ziaire Williams has surpassed everyone’s expectations in training camp.
Heading into this season, the Lakers have been lacking one apparent thing: an athletic and high-flying perimeter defender.
Williams fits that bill. And he’s looking for a fresh start. That could be a powerful combination.
The 25-year-old Williams is entering his sixth season and is now playing for his third team following being selected as the 10th overall pick by the Grizzlies in the 2021 draft.
Williams has a 6-foot-10 wingspan. He’s physical. He’s scrappy.
The 6-9 forward’s defensive skills shined at moments during his last two seasons with the Nets, who failed to reach the postseason.But the tanking Nets only won 46 combined games the last two years. That doesn’t exactly inspire lockdown defense.
Things will be different with the Lakers.
They need his skill set. Doncic wants to win his first championship. The 17-time championship Lakers are tired of not getting past the second round of the playoffs the last three seasons.
Williams fits the bill. If he can be a pillar of stability in his role for the Lakers, he could help propel them to another level. He needs to be aggressive. He needs to transform into the athletic perimeter disruptor they desperately need.
He has quick hands. He has good timing. And now he’ll have protection behind him, with Kessler patrolling the paint down low. He can take risks. He can take gambles.
So far, training camp brought the best out of Williams.
Lakers coach JJ Redick even had to modify a recent practice because things became so physical. Guys are competing for the final two starting spots. They’re eager to prove themselves to their new coach.
“It was a dogfight, but that’s how it’s supposed to be,” Williams said Oct. 1, flashing a smile. “Guys competing. It was good, though.”
Williams said “there’s not really anything I’m not comfortable with” on the defensive end, something that’s music to the Lakers’ ears.
The Lakers need someone who’s young, hungry, athletic and willing to take on the challenge of guarding some of the league’s top wings.
Williams has shown glimmers of his potential.
Now he needs to show consistency.
If he can star in his role, the Lakers’ ceiling gets even higher.
