The (Video) Validation of Vince Williams Jr.

Monday night was another tough night for the Memphis Grizzlies. Coming off a disappointing performance against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday, the Grizzlies were hoping to earn another needed win against a Dallas Mavericks team that once again was missing many key contributors. However, this time around, the Mavericks did have Luka Doncic, who led the Mavericks to a 120-113 win, the tenth time the Mavericks have won over the past eleven games Doncic has played against Memphis.

Despite the efforts of Doncic, it still felt as if the Grizzlies could have earned a win when you consider Jaren Jackson Jr. (41 points) and Desmond Bane (28 points) played excellent offensively, especially as the Grizzlies tried to make it a game in the second half. However, very little contributions were provided from the rest of the rotation on Monday night, and the end result was another missed opportunity for a needed win.

Without a doubt, the positive performances of Jackson Jr. and Bane were significant as both players continue to provide very good offensive performances more frequently in recent weeks. But the one other Grizzlies player who stood out in a positive way on Monday night was Vince Williams Jr. However, for Williams Jr., the source of his value was once again the excellent defense he provided when in the game, especially against arguably one of the top three offensive players in the NBA today in Luka Doncic.

If you want the best validation of how effective Williams Jr. was defensively, take the word of none other than Doncic himself:

While I am sure it has happened before, it is certainly significant that a player as great as Doncic took the time to specifically compliment the play of Vince Williams Jr., especially with how much individual success Doncic has had against the Grizzlies during his time in the NBA. That means the one-on-one defense provided by Williams Jr. during the game on Monday made things more difficult for Doncic than other Grizzlies had been able to in recent years.

Let’s take a look at how Williams Jr. was effective against Doncic in their direct matchups during the game on Monday night:

A big strength of Doncic’s elite offense is his ability to effectively use his body to frequently get the shots he wants. That is especially true in isolation and post-up setups against smaller wings. In this instance, Doncic got a matchup he felt he liked by backing down Williams Jr. with the hope of getting a good short mid-range look. However, Williams Jr. did will to body Doncic and cause him to rely on a spin and shoot effort that missed. Yes, Doncic did create a pretty good look, which is a credit to how good he is offensively. But it likely was not a preferred look, which is a credit to the physical defense of Williams Jr., and a miss was the result.

In their second encounter of the night, Doncic was again matched up against Williams Jr. in a post-up situation. In this instance, Williams Jr. showed his defensive iq and instinct, forcing Doncic to spin to the baseline to face a double team as Williams Jr. knew Bismack Biyombo was coming to help. This development made Doncic make a play few others in the league other than him can, as he found a driving Jaden Hardy.

As Hardy was driving, Williams Jr. was then forced to choose between two shooters away from the ball. Hardy made a great pass himself to an open Doncic in the corner, which resulted in a made three. To be fair, better communication from Williams Jr. and the rest of the Grizz defense was needed to cover the shooting options. William Jr. should have made sure Doncic was accounted for. However, though the play resulted in a made three, it occurred due to two great passes from the Mavericks. Williams Jr. making the initial correct decision forced the Mavericks to make multiple excellent passes to get the bucket. Sometimes, you have to tip your cap to the play of the opponent. Furthermore, Williams Jr. still being able to somewhat contest Doncic’s shot highlights his quick recovery ability on closeouts, an underrated part of his overall defensive game.

The third matchup between Doncic and Williams Jr. was a isolation post-up opportunity for Doncic, one of the signature moves of his offensive game. Williams Jr. knew that he had Santi Aldama to his right in case Doncic tried to go to the lane, so it seemed Williams Jr. was fine conceding Doncic taking a fadeaway shot after spinning toward the baseline. The likely reason Williams Jr. was ok with that outcome was due to is 7-foot wingspan, as Williams Jr. quickly positioned his hand for a good shot contest that forced another miss by Doncic.

While it is fair to point out Doncic got a look he was likely confident in taking, it was also an outcome that played to a defensive strength of Williams Jr. in having an elite wingspan for a wing. The fact that Williams Jr. was able to quickly leap and extend his hand without fouling speaks to his ability to control his body as a defender. That allows for him to be consistently effective in contesting shots without fouling.

In my opinion, this instance is one of the more exciting on the night to show how quick Williams Jr. can be with his defensive recognition. As the clock was winding down to end the third quarter, Williams Jr. recognized Doncic was attempting to set Ziaire Williams up for a step-back three attempt to end the quarter. As a result, Williams Jr. quickly provided double-team help to close the space Doncic had to operate to get a shot off. As Williams Jr. approached Doncic and Williams, it forced a slight hesitation, forcing Doncic to try and force contact while not getting off a clean look. The end result was a missed shot.

One small but effective nuance moment for Williams Jr. was how he provided the help defense. He did not initially flash over to try and help or trap Doncic, as that would have left a shooter open that Doncic’s elite passing ability could have easily converted into a wide open three point shot. Instead, Williams Jr. waited until Doncic was in his motion to setup the shot, knowing at that point Doncic would not have the option to pass. As a result, Williams Jr. quickly flared over to help prevent a clean look for Doncic, and the result was yet another missed shot.

In this matchup between Doncic and Williams Jr, Doncic clearly was able to get the look that he wanted on the step back. He navigated the screen to create the needed space between him and Williams Jr., and then followed it up with a jab step/crossover combo to step back and get the clean look he wanted.

However, this is where Williams Jr. may shine the brightest as an effective defender. Even though Doncic had created the needed space for the shot by getting Williams Jr. off-balance, Williams Jr. used his quickness and wingspan to quickly recover and contest the shot enough to where Doncic missed an open look. As mentioned above, Williams Jr. seven-foot wingspan is a true asset. But the fact that he combines it with quick footwork gives Williams Jr. an ability not all wing defenders have, which is a quick recovery and shot contest even after initially being beat.

In this setup, Doncic faced Williams Jr. in an isolation setup at the top of the arc. While Doncic was able to penetrate toward the lane, Williams Jr. guided the action toward Jackson Jr. as a help defender. This made Luka counter by spinning back toward the free throw line for a mid-range look. In this case, the footwork of Doncic simply shined, as he converted a good, clean look. Perhaps Williams Jr. could have provided a quicker contest, but this result is simply one where you acknowledge Doncic as being the truly elite offensive player that he is.

This possession was another fun and exciting example of the many ways in which Williams Jr. can play effective defense. This was a true isolation drive possession from Doncic. In most cases, he is able to create and convert a clean look or draw a foul. In this case, he accomplished neither outcome.

Williams Jr. did an excellent job of maintaining good position and staying in front of Doncic as the drive was occurring. The body control of Williams Jr. allowed him to remain physical, while his footwork allowed him to maintain his balance to avoid fouling even though he was quickly changing direction on the move. The end result was Doncic taking a one-handed shot with less control than he likely preferred, with the result being another miss. Though the look Doncic got is likely one he makes at a good rate, the physical defense of Williams Jr. did just enough to achieve the desired outcome.

The last direct matchup between Doncic and Williams Jr. was about as good of an occurrence as a Grizzlies fan could have scripted. As Doncic is once again going to setup a post-up possession, Williams Jr. effectively uses a bump to cause Doncic to interrupt his dribble for a split second. While Doncic wisely attempts to use that as a way to make a move to create space for a jump shot, Williams Jr. confidently stands his ground and easily contests the look. This results in an air ball from Doncic and the Grizzlies gaining control of the ball.

This outcome seems to lead to some “friendly” conversation between Luka and Williams Jr. as they are heading down the court. Moments later, Doncic would receive a technical foul. which is what he is speaking about in the quote in the tweet above when he compliments the defense of Williams Jr. It certainly seems as if one of the people most impressed by the defensive play of Williams Jr. tonight was Doncic himself.

Overall, there were eight instances in which Williams Jr. directly or indirectly defended an offensive possession from Doncic. Those eight possessions led to only five total points, including Doncic being just 1-6 when Williams Jr,. was the primary defender on him. Considering the extensive success Doncic has had over the past few years against Memphis, this truly was an eye-opening and outstanding performance from Williams Jr. The fact that he also did not foul Doncic on any of the possessions is even more impressive.

It is important to remember that this was not some fluke performance for Williams Jr. Instead, it was the most valid occurrence in a growing trend of performances that show Vince Williams Jr. is truly making a difference on the defensive end. In a year where the Grizzlies are truly looking for any type of value they can get form the wing position, tonight may have been a true “he has arrived” point for Williams Jr. The Grizzlies would be wise to keep him as a regular part of the rotation as a result.