Grizzlies Stud Cub Inching Towards Return From Injury

The Memphis Grizzlies have given an injury update on third-year wing Vince Williams Jr.

, who has been out with a Grade 3 right ankle sprain since Nov.

19.

The 24-year-old was given an approximate four week timeline for reevaluation.

The @memgrizz today announced the following medical update for Vince Williams Jr.

pic.twitter.com/LrUnTYYt9B Grizzlies PR (@GrizzliesPR) December 20, 2024 Now, the Grizzlies expect him to return to play within 3-6 weeks.

That would mean that Williams will be suiting up sometime between Jan.

1031.

With the NBAs All-Star Break beginning on Feb.

14 , that should give Williams up to five weeks to re-establish his rhythm once he returns.

A New Role, An Old One Known more for his defense, Williams once looked like the teams future starter at small forward.

However, 2024 No.

39 pick Jaylen Wells has been superb since being promoted to the first unit.

That being said, Williamss understated versatility could help him be even more impactful off the bench.

To that point, he averaged 14.8 points, 6.2 rebounds, 5.3 assists, and 1.3 steals per contest in his final 24 games of 2023-24.

The primary question is how Memphis plans to manage their depth.

Theres strength in numbers but they have more rotation-caliber players than is ideal in terms of team chemistry.

Luke Kennards Replacement? The Grizzlies were likely hoping that they moved past the injury bug after their 2023-24 campaign was all but lost to it.

However, that experience may be one reason why theyve started the 2024-25 season at 18-9, the second-best record in the West.

Though Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins has at times been criticized for his decisions, he clearly entered the 2024 offseason wanting to make his team less reliant on star talent.

The result has been an offensive system that relies on pace, space, and ball-movement.

Jenkins didnt invent those pillars.

In fact, theyre commonplace.

Nonetheless, he and his team have bought into the new system, breathing life into it.

This has led to the Grizzlies ranking first in pace (104.9), first in points per game (122.9), fifth in offensive rating (117.2), and second in assists per game (30.5).

Their biggest issue is defense, as they rank 14th in opponents points per game (113.0), 28th in opponents three-point attempts (40.2), 28th in opponents free-throw attempts (25.8), and 27th in personal fouls (21.7).

Some of this is a natural byproduct of the pace they play.

Teams that get up shots in a hurry tend to allow a lot of attempts as well.

However, Memphis also has a couple of players who are weak links at that end.

As it relates to Williams, fellow wing Luke Kennard may be one of the best shooters in NBA history, but doesnt offer much defensively.

Replacing Kennard who averages 19.9 minutes per game this season with Williams could do wonders for them.

That doesnt mean Kennard wont make it through the season with the Grizzlies.

If Williamss three-ball continues to fall though, its definitely a possibility.

This article first appeared on Last Word On Sports and was syndicated with permission..

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