The Ziaire Williams era with the Memphis Grizzlies reached its high point during his rookie season in 2021-22, a campaign that saw the team secure the first of two consecutive second seeds in the Western Conference. The 6’9″ forward, drafted 10th overall in 2021, started 31 of the 62 games he played that season.

He posted career-best numbers, shooting 45% from the field and 31.4% from three-point range while averaging 8.1 points in 21.7 minutes per game.

One standout moment came in the second round of the playoffs against the Golden State Warriors, where Williams scored 14 points, including four three-pointers, to help the Grizzlies even the series 1-1. However, Memphis ultimately fell in six games. While his rookie year showed promise, injuries and inconsistent on-court performance derailed his development. This summer, the Grizzlies traded the once-highly-touted wing to the Brooklyn Nets.

Since joining the Nets, Williams has struggled to make a significant impact. His performance has mirrored much of what he showed in Memphis, offering little improvement as a slasher or wing defender. Currently averaging 8.6 points and a career-high 4.4 rebounds per game, he’s shooting 40.3% from the field and a disappointing 27.3% from beyond the arc.

His inconsistency has left Brooklyn fans unimpressed, with the comments on a recent social media post highlighting their frustrations.

In a video shared by the Nets’ social media team on X (formerly Twitter), Williams answered the question, “What is your basketball ick?” His response that he “hated when guys jack up shots and they don’t go in” drew sarcastic remarks from fans who felt it summed up his time with the Nets.

Now in his fourth NBA season, Williams has shown little growth since his rookie year.