Brooklyn Nets' Zaire Williams Shines in Loss vs. Nuggets

The Brooklyn Nets got a bright performance from their young win despite the loss.

Oct 18, 2024; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Brooklyn Nets forward Ziaire Williams (1) dribbles the ball against Toronto Raptors power forward Chris Boucher (25) during the first half at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images / Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

One of the most unique parts about when a team decides to deconstruct their roster and kick off a rebuild is the amount of talent that comes in and out of said organizations. Young players often get a second chance to carve out a career with rebuilding teams.

The Brooklyn Nets are a team with nothing to lose, and they've begun acquiring young talent while moving on from win-now players as they gear toward the future. Ziaire Williams is one player the team traded for this past offseason after a couple of seasons with the Memphis Grizzlies.

Through his first three games of the season, Williams looked solid while playing just south of 20 minutes per contest. He had been shooting the ball well from deep previously, though on low volume.

On Tuesday, he shined, scoring 18 points in an overtime loss to the Denver Nuggets. Williams nailed four of his five 3-point attempts while shooting 7-of-9 from the field in 22 minutes and also added three rebounds and four assists.

Again, it's been a small sample size, but Williams easily played the best game since arriving in Brooklyn. If the can emulate some level of the success he had on Tuesday moving forward, the trade could end up looking quite lopsided in favor of the Nets.

Throughout the season, plenty of players will get the chance to shine as fourth-year pro Williams did against the Nets, which is one of the beauties of a rebuilding season. Some of those players will be looking to carve out a long-term role with the club as they eventually work their way back to a place of success.

---

Want to join the discussion? Like Nets on SI on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to stay up to date on all the latest Nets news. You can also meet the team behind the coverage.