The Nets announced Thursday that Williams (knee) has progressed to on-court contract workouts with coaches and is expected to be integrated into team activities within the next week, Meghan Triplett of YES Network reports.
Williams has missed Brooklyn's last five contests due to a left knee sprain. While the 23-year-old forward appears to be nearing a return to action, he will likely have to participate in a full-contact practice before seeing any game action.
... See More... See Less
Nets' Ziaire Williams: Limited to shooting
Rotowire
Williams (knee) has been limited to shooting at practice, Sharif Phillips-Keaton of USA Today reports.
Williams has yet to be cleared for contact, but coach Jordi Fernandez said the forward is progressing well. Whether or not he's ready in time for Saturday's game against the Jazz remains to be seen. Keon Johnson will likely see an uptick in minutes in the meantime.
... See More... See Less
Nets' Ziaire Williams: Won't play Monday
Rotowire
Williams (knee) has been ruled out for Monday's game against the Cavaliers, Erik Slater of ClutchPoints.com reports.
Williams is slated to miss a fifth straight game due to a left knee sprain. His next chance to suit up will come Thursday in Toronto, while Keon Johnson should continue to start in Williams' absence.
... See More... See Less
Nets' Ziaire Williams: Another absence coming
Rotowire
Williams (knee) is out for Friday's game versus the Grizzlies, Erik Slater of ClutchPoints.com reports.
Williams will miss his fourth straight game Friday due to a left knee sprain. Williams' next chance to suit up is Monday's matchup with Cleveland.
... See More... See Less
Nets' Ziaire Williams: Ruled out Sunday
Rotowire
Williams (knee) has been ruled out for Sunday's game against the Bucks.
Williams injured his left knee against the Magic on Dec. 1, and he will miss a third straight game Sunday as a result. The Nets' next game won't be until Friday, Dec. 13 against the Grizzlies, so Williams can take advantage of the additional rest. Shake Milton and Jalen Wilson should be in line for more minutes Sunday due to injuries to Williams and Cam Thomas (hamstring).
... See More... See Less
Nets' Ziaire Williams: Won't play Wednesday
Rotowire
Williams (knee) has been ruled out for Wednesday's game against the Pacers, Lucas Kaplan of NetsDaily.com reports.
Williams will miss a second straight game after sustaining a knee injury in the final minutes of Sunday's loss to the Magic. His next chance to suit up will come next Sunday versus Milwaukee. In Williams' absence, Tyrese Martin should remain in the starting lineup, as Cam Thomas (hamstring) also remains out.
... See More... See Less
Nets' Ziaire Williams: Exits early Sunday
Rotowire
Williams left Sunday's game against the Magic with 5:58 remaining in the fourth quarter due to an apparent knee injury, Sharif Phillips-Keaton of USA Today reports.
Williams limped to the locker room as he checked out of the game midway through the fourth quarter, but the Nets haven't provided an official update on his injury. He concluded the contest with one point (0-6 FG, 0-4 3Pt, 1-3 FT), five rebounds, two steals and one assist across 21 minutes. His status for the second leg of a back-to-back set Monday versus the Bulls isn't clear at this point.
... See More... See Less
Nets' Ziaire Williams: Pops with double-double
Rotowire
Williams logged 19 points (6-11 FG, 2-3 3Pt, 5-6 FT), 10 rebounds, four assists and two steals across 37 minutes during Monday's 128-120 victory over the Warriors.
Despite Dennis Schroder's return, Williams made his second consecutive start due to additional gaps on the roster. While injuries marred Williams' tenure with Memphis, he's started strong with his new team, providing an average of 21.8 minutes off the bench. Monday's encouraging double-double could result in more playing time for the former first-round pick.
... See More... See Less
Nets' Ziaire Williams: Starting Sunday
Rotowire
Williams will start Sunday's game against the Kings, Evan Barnes of Newsday reports.
Williams will enter the starting five due to Dennis Schroder (ankle) being sidelined. In two starts this season, Williams has averaged 17.5 points, 7.5 rebounds, 1.0 steals and 1.0 blocks in 27.0 minutes per contest.
... See More... See Less
Nets' Ziaire Williams: Good to go Sunday
Rotowire
Williams (foot) is available for Sunday's game against the Kings, Brian Lewis of the New York Post reports.
Williams has been dealing with an infection in his right foot of late, but he will be able to play through it Sunday. Williams has seen a decreased role over the last two games, logging 17 and 11 minutes, respectively, after logging 20-plus minutes in seven straight contests.
... See More... See Less
Nets' Ziaire Williams: Probable to play vs. Kings
Rotowire
Williams (foot) is listed as probable to play Sunday against Sacramento, Erik Slater of ClutchPoints.com reports.
Williams is dealing with an infection in his right foot, but it appears that won't prevent him from playing Sunday. Since and including Nov. 1, Williams has averaged 7.5 points and 4.5 rebounds over 21.3 minutes per game.
... See More... See Less
Nets' Ziaire Williams: Available to play
Rotowire
Williams (hip) is available for Tuesday's game against the Hornets, Erik Slater of ClutchPoints.com reports.
No surprise here, as Williams was initially considered probable. Williams has been a key rotation piece for the Nets this campaign, averaging 21.9 minutes per contest with 9.6 points, 4.7 rebounds, 1.0 assists and 0.9 steals.
... See More... See Less
Nets' Ziaire Williams: Probable for Tuesday
Rotowire
Williams is probable for Tuesday's game against the Hornets due to right hip tightness, Meghan Triplett of YES Network reports.
Williams has yet to miss a game this season, and that shouldn't change Tuesday. Over his last six appearances (two starts), Williams has averaged 10.0 points, 6.8 rebounds and 1.2 steals-plus-blocks in 24.8 minutes per game.
... See More... See Less
Nets' Ziaire Williams: Getting green light Sunday
Rotowire
Williams (hip) is available for Sunday's game against the Knicks, Erik Slater of ClutchPoints.com reports.
Williams has yet to miss a game this season. He's played at least 26 minutes in three straight games (two starts), averaging 14.7 points, 7.7 rebounds and 1.0 steals in 27.3 minutes during that stretch.
... See More... See Less
Nets' Ziaire Williams: Questionable for Sunday
Rotowire
Williams is questionable for Sunday's game against the Knicks due to right hip tightness, Evan Barnes of Newsday reports.
Williams is in danger of missing his first game of the season, though a decision on his status should be made closer to Sunday's tipoff at 7 p.m. ET. The forward is averaging 9.8 points, 4.8 rebounds, 1.0 assists and 1.0 steals per game across 13 outings (two starts) this season.
... See More... See Less
Nets' Ziaire Williams: Moves back to second unit
Rotowire
Williams is not in the starting lineup for Friday's game against the Knicks, Ian Begley of SportsNet New York reports.
Williams will return to his regular bench role since Dorian Finney-Smith will return to the first unit. Williams is averaging 8.3 points and 4.0 boards per game when coming off the bench this season.
... See More... See Less
Nets' Ziaire Williams: Leads way with 23 points
Rotowire
Williams closed Wednesday's 139-114 loss to the Celtics with 23 points (8-14 FG, 2-5 3Pt, 5-6 FT), six rebounds, one assist, one block and one steal across 26 minutes.
Williams continues to play well in place of Dorian Finney-Smith (ankle), an unlikely outcome considering Williams was averaging 8.3 points in his first 10 appearances off the bench. The Stanford product has tallied 12 and now 23 points in his last two starts while collecting 15 total rebounds along the way. Given Williams' recent success, look for him to draw another start Friday in New York if Finney-Smith can't go.
... See More... See Less
Nets' Ziaire Williams: Nabs two steals Monday
Rotowire
Williams chipped in two points (0-2 FG, 0-2 3Pt, 2-2 FT), two rebounds, two steals and one assist in 21 minutes during Monday's 106-104 victory over the Grizzlies.
Williams was a non-factor on the offensive end against his former squad. The 23-year-old reached double-digit points in three straight outings, though in his last two regular-season appearances he has amassed only six points, four rebounds, two steals and an assist while shooting a combined 2-for-7 from the field and 0-for-5 from three-point range. The fourth-year forward has yet to play fewer than 16 minutes in a game this year, though the eventual return of Noah Clowney (hip), Trendon Watford (hamstring) and Bojan Bogdanovic (foot) could affect Williams' playing time.
... See More... See Less
Nets' Ziaire Williams: Impressive off bench Wednesday
Rotowire
Williams registered 17 points (6-10 FG, 1-4 3Pt, 4-5 FT), one rebound, three assists, one block and four steals over 24 minutes during Wednesday's 119-106 victory over the Grizzlies.
Williams might have played off the bench in this game, but he made his presence felt on both ends of the court as soon as he entered the contest. The fourth-year forward, who was facing his former team for the first time in his career, has been trending in the right direction recently and has scored in double digits in back-to-back games after a slow start to the campaign.
Williams managed 12 points (5-9 FG, 2-3 3PT), eight rebounds, four steals, two assists and two blocks in 27 minutes during Friday's preseason loss to Toronto.
Williams was fantastic off the bench, continuing his impressive preseason. After coming up short for the majority of his career, Williams finds himself in a favorable position, playing for a team that can afford to have him on the floor, even through the rough patches. While he probably isn't worth drafting at this point, he is someone to watch should Brooklyn opt to throw him out there a bit more as the season progresses.