The Golden State Warriors are less than 36 hours away from their first preseason game, but Brandon Williams has already made their decision easy when it comes to his contract guarantee.
The Warriors signed Williams after weeks of speculation in August, yet kept pressure on the young guard by making it completely non-guaranteed before opening night. Williams has yet to take the floor for Golden State, but his early impression in training camp suggests his place on the opening night roster is under no threat.
Warriors already have an easy Brandon Williams contract decision
Williams' speed with ball and ability to get downhill has already stood out at training camp in Hawaii, and unsurprisingly so given the older and slower nature of the Warrior roster that's often lacked real burst and athleticism in recent years.
It's also not surprising considering Williams is coming off a career-best year, having made a name for himself for the first time after just 74 games through his first three seasons in the league. The 26-year-old averaged 13.0 points and 3.9 assists as a member of the Dallas Mavericks, with real intrigue remaining on why it took so long into free agency for Williams to get a contract -- and even then it came fully non-guaranteed.
The league is certainly going away from undersized, ball-dominant guards who aren't overly efficient. It's why someone like Cam Thomas is no longer in the league, and why Jordan Poole has gone from incredibly valuable championship piece for the Warriors to someone who couldn't get minutes at times for the New Orleans Pelicans last season.
However, Williams is also proving in camp that he's not a one-trick pony. Head coach Steve Kerr has made a comparison to the Brazilian blur Leandro Barbosa in terms of their speed, but has also been left impressed with his ability as a point-of-attack defender as well.
Brandon Williams will look to secure rotational minutes in preseason
The real question is not whether Williams will secure his place on the main roster for opening night against the Los Angeles Lakers later in the month, but how many minutes he'll actually earn with his form through preseason.
It's easy to envision Williams playing all the non-Stephen Curry minutes as the backup point guard, giving him access to 15 or so minutes as a lead ball-handler and shot-creator. But if he can actually have a positive impact on the defensive end, perhaps there's a chance he could actually play minutes alongside the two-time MVP.
Williams will still be the fourth guard in the rotation behind Curry, Brandin Podziemski and former high school teammate De'Anthony Melton, but he should still see meaningful minutes as the Warriors search for offense without the injured Jimmy Butler.
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