You’d be hard pressed to find another player around the league on a completely non-guaranteed contract who’s having as much impact, albeit in preseason, than what Brandon Williams is with the Golden State Warriors.
Williams has now scored double digits in all four of the Warriors preseason games, proving he’s ready to provide a major offensive spark the team desperately needs until six time All-Star Jimmy Butler returns from injury.
Warriors have major free agency steal in Brandon Williams
Williams poured in another 19 points on an incredibly efficient 7-of-8 from the field against the Sacramento Kings on Saturday night. It wasn’t a perfect performance given it consisted of five turnovers, but it was more proof that the 26-year-old is going to play a vital role as a shotmaking explosive guard off the Golden State bench.
Perhaps most positively for Williams and the Warriors, he knocked down both of his 3-point attempts. After shooting just 23.6% from beyond the arc with the Dallas Mavericks last season, getting back to being at least a league average shooter will be crucial for Williams and his impact on the team. If teams suddenly have to respect him from the perimeter, that will make his explosive ability to get to the rim much easier and will open up opportunities with greater space for his teammates.
Williams is averaging 30.1 points per 36 minutes during preseason, doing so while shooting an extraordinary 61.8% from the floor. That efficiency won’t translate completely into the regular season, but it does reiterate his shot-making ability and the importance he’ll hold within the Golden State offense.
The former Maverick could wind up as a genuine sixth man for the Warriors entering the season, something that belies the fact he was signed as the last player on the roster and the only one on a completely non-guaranteed deal.
Brandon Williams could be above De’Anthony Melton in Warrior rotation
The question now becomes not whether Williams will be part of the roster or rotation, but how many minutes he’ll actually get when Golden State meet the Los Angeles Lakers on opening night in just 10 days.
There’s a legitimate argument to be made that Williams should actually be the first guard off the bench behind starting duo Stephen Curry and Brandin Podziemski. Not only has Williams been simply far better than his former high school teammate De’Anthony Melton during preseason, but the Warriors could arguably do with more of the offensive skillset that he provides.
It will be fascinating to see how Kerr and the Warriors deploy Williams and Melton off the bench, yet the former is quite clearly already bringing more value than even the franchise would have envisioned.
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