The “welcome to the NBA” second couldn’t have come any sooner for Malik Williams.
On the primary offensive possession of his NBA profession Wednesday, Williams set a display for Gradey Dick, rolled to the rim, acquired a move, and went up for a layup. He was met by All-Defensive Staff candidate Jaden McDaniels, the co-anchor of the league’s greatest defence, who promptly swatted Williams’ shot away. Signed by the Raptors to a 10-day contract earlier that day, Williams was 0-for-1 immediately, the soar he’s making an attempt to make from the G League to the NBA introduced stark and instant.
In one other means, although, that second got here far earlier than anybody might have anticipated years, months, and even weeks in the past. In a season the place the Raptors have now performed 30 totally different gamers – a franchise report and one shy of Memphis’ NBA report, additionally set this yr – no person’s ascension to this degree is unlikelier than that of Williams.
It is a Raptors workforce that’s checked a number of of the unlikelier packing containers, to be clear. Jontay Porter practically walked away from the game earlier than making it again (and presumably leaving it simply as shortly). Javon Freeman-Liberty and Mouhamadou Gueye had been G League bench gamers final yr. Justise Winslow didn’t play on his 10-day deal – he would have pushed the Raptors right into a tie with Memphis because the thirty first man – however his comeback story was significant for Raptors 905. The whole lot Markquis Nowell accomplishes is particular.
Williams one way or the other feels much less seemingly than all of them, or at the least has extra not too long ago. Initially a five-star recruit, Williams was extra instruments than manufacturing over 5 seasons at Louisville. At instances, the 25-year-old was slowed by harm and suspension; largely, his recreation by no means fairly got here round to the extent many anticipated.
That not solely left Williams undrafted in 2022, it additionally left him with out provides as an undrafted free agent. He didn’t attend Las Vegas Summer season League, usually a veritable job truthful for his kind of participant, and he remained unsigned till January.
When Williams did signal a deal, with Anwil in Poland, it was as a depth piece. A number of instances, he was near being let go, however by the tip of that season, he was beginning repeatedly for a workforce that may go on to shock as FIBA Europe Cup Champions.
His 2023-24 adopted an identical path. Williams was a tryout participant for Sioux Falls within the G League and was initially minimize by the workforce. It was solely when Jamaree Bouyea received an NBA call-up and, finally, Cheick Diallo signed abroad that Williams was again within the combine. By January, he was beginning for the Skyforce. By March, he was going toe-to-toe with a number of the greatest two-way gamers within the league like Pete Nance and Isaiah Mobley.
![](https://www.sportsnet.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/SNPodcast_RaptorsShow_16x9-e1640205939892.jpg)
It’s an extended path from unemployed out of a premiere basketball program, to the fringes of European basketball, to walk-on standing within the G League, and now to an NBA 10-day contract. In a G League atmosphere that’s outlined by out-of-the-ordinary success tales, Williams’ story nonetheless stands out. He was minimize within the G League lower than six months in the past, and on Wednesday he was beginning an NBA recreation.
Nevertheless, the outstanding story doesn’t assure a contented ending. Williams is much from a completed prospect, and there’s a cause he was on the fringes of the G League not way back. The guess right here is that the uncooked expertise and athleticism that after made Williams a prime prospect, mixed with fast in-season enchancment in two consecutive professional seasons, suggests there’s extra to faucet into with the near-7-footer.
Most of that upside is on the defensive finish. Williams is powerful, with a stable nostril for defensive rebounds and stable rim-protection instincts. There may be additionally some switching potential due to his agility, although he seems extra snug nearer to the paint proper now. On offence, Williams might want to in the reduction of on the much less environment friendly pictures he’d take within the G League, specializing in being a pure roll-man with some capability to knock down a 3-point shot from the highest. His taking pictures percentages are usually not nice; his mechanics are stable.
On Wednesday, he seemed like a participant in his first NBA recreation, who was enjoying 30-plus minutes as a result of his workforce was right down to eight accessible gamers. He had a few good defensive moments, staying with Anthony Edwards on a pick-and-roll possession, arising with two blocks, and chasing down Naz Reid to strip the ball in transition after he’d given it up with a foul hand-off sequence with Immanuel Quickley. He additionally seemed overmatched by Reid and Rudy Gobert with regularity and solely completed with 5 rebounds. Williams additionally shot 0-of-7 from the ground, lacking a pair of threes, some floater-range seems, and the rim try that McDaniels erased.
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You’ll be shocked to study that one of many 4 greatest groups within the NBA shouldn’t be a pleasant touchdown spot in your NBA debut.
For Williams and the Raptors, this newest 10-day contract isn’t about what he can contribute proper now. The actual fact he’ll get NBA minutes is nice for his growth and to see how shortly he picks issues up, however this contract – like Jahmi’us Ramsey and Kobi Simmons earlier than him – is about attending to know the participant a bit higher and seeing who may match the workforce’s plans for this summer season. A robust stint right here might put Williams on the radar for his first Summer season League look, or a spot within the Raptors’ summer season growth program with an opportunity to compete for a coaching camp invite subsequent fall.
Contemplating he was combating for a G League camp invite this fall, he absolutely received’t let a troublesome NBA debut shake his confidence.
Listed here are another notes from the Raptors fifteenth consecutive loss, a 133-85 blowout in opposition to Minnesota:
• That’s the largest loss in franchise historical past at 48 factors. The workforce misplaced by 46 to the Knicks as an growth workforce in 1995-96. The dangerous loss that stands out extra not too long ago as a bar of poor play is a 45-point loss to Cleveland on Boxing Day in 2021. That was a recreation the place the roster was worn out with COVID points and the workforce’s bench consisted completely of emergency call-up gamers: Tremont Waters, Juwan Morgan, and Daniel Oturu.
• The loss places the Raptors two off the franchise report dropping streak of 17. If we assume they’ll lose in Milwaukee on Friday, meaning a house date in opposition to the lowly Washington Wizards is Toronto’s final likelihood to keep away from rewriting their very own historical past. It may also be the workforce’s final spot on the schedule for a win, with a go to to Brooklyn the one different recreation Toronto has left in opposition to a non-competitive workforce.
• Javon Freeman-Liberty had a pleasant evening, with a career-high 16 factors and 6 assists. Of all of the gamers who’ve been given expanded home windows to play, he’s in all probability completed probably the most along with his alternative. He has a nostril for the paint that few others on the (lively) roster have, and whereas he hasn’t shot significantly effectively on threes of late, everybody across the workforce appears to imagine it’s an actual weapon over a bigger pattern. He’s been extra constant in his hustle than most, even when that’s often led to misplays from making an attempt to do an excessive amount of.
• Memphis received a second recreation in a row, topping Milwaukee. That places the Raptors three wins away from the Grizzlies (and three away from Portland within the different path), that means they’re extraordinarily prone to end with the league’s sixth-worst report. That may include a nine-percent likelihood on the No. 1 choose and a forty five.8-percent likelihood of maintaining their very own choose, which they owe to San Antonio except it falls within the prime six after the lottery.
• Malachi Flynn scored 50 factors Wednesday, with six rebounds, 5 assists, and 5 steals. Good evening.