Why the Grizzlies’ Vince Williams Jr. Can—And Someday Will—Make An All-Defensive Team

We are amidst an eruption of NBA offenses the likes of which the league has never seen. When it comes to getting points and getting buckets? Now more than ever the average viewer can tune in on any given night… And see a superstar notch 70+.

That’s new.

That many points used to be a struggle to even conceive, and yet now? Well we had two 70+ games in January alone. Which is wild.

Now what does this mean for NBA defenses? Are they dead? Missing? Gone home?

Hell no.

If anything it makes the discovery of a true-blue defender in this league something of worth. More than that, All-Defense defenders have become something team’s cherish. Something teams get their hands on, and then never let go.

Which makes what Vince Williams Jr. is bringing to the table all the more fascinating. Because the Grizzlies seem to have stumbled upong a diamond in the rough.

And this diamond has the ability to be on an All-Defense Team.

Watching this live, everyone thought Banchero smoked the dunk. There was no mention of a block by either commentary team and it wasn’t replayed.

Incredible chase-down, clutch-time block by Vince Williams Jr.

Grizzlies were only up 2 points with 2:30 left in the 4th… https://t.co/hDuTWUHvAA pic.twitter.com/2lqI8zXl2i

— Steven Adams Stats (@funakistats) January 27, 2024

He’s at least playing on such a level in Memphis. Which they have to be grateful for. And to be honest that feels like an understatement.

The Grizzlies have been looking for the heir-apparent to Tony Allen since 2017. During his time on Beale St… The Grindfather won 6 All-Defense honors—two 1st team, two 2nd team—in his 7 seasons.

The only way to do better than that is to have won 7 of the awards. Math. 

And you know what? Vince is already well on his way to that. And it’s not too early to say that either. It’s not. I’m telling you.

Look at how he’s playing this year—his second year mind you—and tell me I’m wrong. I’m going to throw some numbers at you. Before I do that here’s a quick breakdown of what these mean.

• MIN: minutes played
• Diff: efficiency differential… team points scored per 100 possessions minus team points allowed
• Pts/Poss: points per 100 possessions… points allowed per 100 possessions played
• eFG%: effective field goal %… adjusting for the extra point from threes, what did the opponoent effectively shoot from the field?
• TOV%: turnover %…what percentage of the opponents’ possessions ended in a turnover?
• ORB%: offensive rebound %… what percentage of the opponents’ misses did the opponent rebound?
• FT Rate: free thow rate: how many free thows did the opponent make per 100 field goal attempts?

Alright. Now here’s his numbers on the season. Under that you’ll, find the 10 players elected to the All-Defense teams last season. Which quick tangent that makes what he’s doing all the more impressive.

10 players. That’s how many guys in the league win this. Alright. Back at it.

Here’s Vince’s numbers this year next to last years winners of the All Defense honors…

	MIN	Diff	Pts/Poss	eFG%	TOV%	ORB%	FT Rate
Vince Williams Jr. (’23-’24)	862	+10.7 (94th)	-4.2 (81st)	-0.8% (61st)	+1.5% (80th)	+0.9% (37th)	-3.1 (83rd)
Alex Caruso	1572	+9.7 (93rd)	-6.9 (94th)	-1.3% (72nd)	+3.4% (97th)	+0.5% (46th)	+2.0 (27th)
Jrue Holiday	2175	+13.5 (97th)	-5.9 (92nd)	-0.9% (63rd)	+0.6% (63rd)	-1.4% (72nd)	-5.2 (97th)
Jaren Jackson Jr.	1777	+8.8 (92nd)	-5.5 (90th)	-4.0% (95th)	-0.5% (32nd)	+0.3% (48th)	+3.2 (15th)
Brook Lopez	2368	+8.9 (92nd)	-9.3 (97th)	-3.5% (92nd)	-1.8% (9th)	-4.6% (97th)	-5.2 (96th)
Evan Mobley	2715	+1.6 (63rd)	+0.2 (49th)	+0.3% (45th)	-0.3% (40th)	-0.5% (61st)	-1.7 (74th)
Bam Adebayo	2590	+6.7 (86th)	-3.5 (80th)	-1.9% (78th)	-1.1% (19th)	-0.6% (63rd)	-0.7 (62nd)
OG Anunoby	2385	+3.0 (70th)	-3.2 (78th)	-0.4% (56th)	+1.3% (79th)	-2.0% (81st)	-0.4 (58th)
Dillon Brooks	2209	+1.2 (60th)	-4.3 (86th)	-1.1% (67th)	-0.3% (38th)	-3.5% (94th)	+2.3 (24th)
Draymond Green	2298	+14.0 (98th)	-9.8 (98th)	-3.3% (91st)	-0.3% (38th)	-1.8% (79th)	-5.2 (97th)
Derrick White	2289	+9.3 (93rd)	-6.7 (94th)	-2.0% (82nd)	+0.1% (49th)	-0.5% (60th)	-3.6 (90th)

And here they are next to the winners the year before…

	MIN	Diff	Pts/Poss	eFG%	TOV%	ORB%	FT Rate
Vince Williams Jr. (’23-’24)	862	+10.7 (94th)	-4.2 (81st)	-0.8% (61st)	+1.5% (80th)	+0.9% (37th)	-3.1 (83rd)
Marcus Smart	2293	+5.9 (84th)	-2.0 (67th)	+0.0% (49th)	+1.0% (71st)	-2.4% (81st)	+2.0 (26th)
Mikal Bridges	2847	+6.7 (86th)	+1.9 (34th)	-1.0% (67th)	+0.4% (59th)	+3.7% (9th)	-0.8 (63rd)
Rudy Gobert	2116	+6.3 (85th)	-8.4 (96th)	-3.4% (92nd)	-0.8% (30th)	-1.5% (72nd)	-4.0 (94th)
Giannis Antetokounmpo	2190	+10.8 (94th)	-4.3 (82nd)	-2.1% (81st)	-1.6% (13th)	-4.0% (94th)	+0.5 (44th)
Jaren Jackson Jr.	2113	+4.5 (76th)	-4.8 (85th)	-3.0% (91st)	-1.4% (15th)	+1.7% (26th)	+0.1 (50th)
Bam Adebayo	1823	+6.4 (86th)	-6.6 (93rd)	-1.5% (75th)	-0.5% (37th)	-3.6% (92nd)	-1.3 (70th)
Jrue Holiday	2201	+12.1 (96th)	-2.3 (69th)	+1.2% (27th)	+0.5% (63rd)	-4.6% (96th)	-3.0 (89th)
Matisse Thybulle	1670	+0.0 (52nd)	-3.7 (78th)	-1.6% (76th)	+3.1% (97th)	+4.0% (7th)	+0.6 (41st)
Robert Williams III	1804	+5.9 (83rd)	-4.8 (85th)	-2.2% (83rd)	+0.4% (58th)	+1.5% (30th)	-3.3 (90th)
Draymond Green	1328	+2.6 (68th)	-5.5 (89th)	-1.2% (71st)	+0.4% (59th)	-4.0% (94th)	-0.1 (52nd)

And the year before that…

	MIN	Diff	Pts/Poss	eFG%	TOV%	ORB%	FT Rate
Vince Williams Jr. (’23-’24)	862	+10.7 (94th)	-4.2 (81st)	-0.8% (61st)	+1.5% (80th)	+0.9% (37th)	-3.1 (83rd)
Rudy Gobert	2185	+13.9 (98th)	-12.1 (98th)	-5.8% (98th)	+0.1% (50th)	-0.1% (52nd)	-5.8 (98th)
Ben Simmons	1874	+5.9 (1874)	-2.8 (76th)	+0.1% (48th)	+1.2% (81st)	-1.8% (77th)	-2.9 (88th)
Draymond Green	1982	+14.6 (99th)	-0.5 (56th)	-1.2% (74th)	-0.4% (37th)	-0.7% (62nd)	+2.2 (26th)
Jrue Holiday	1919	+8.7 (91st)	-3.4 (81st)	-0.6% (65th)	-1.0% (23rd)	-3.3% (90th)	-2.8 (87th)
Giannis Antetokounmpo	2011	+9.3 (93rd)	6.6 (93rd)	-1.5% (78th)	-0.4% (38th)	-2.4% (83rd)	-2.3 (82nd)
Bam Adebayo	2130	-0.8 (58th)	-0.6 (58th)	+1.5% (23rd)	-0.3% (41st)	-1.5% (72nd)	-1.5 (74th)
Jimmy Butler	1732	+10.7 (96th)	-6.8 (93rd)	-1.3% (75th)	+1.4% (83rd)	-4.2% (96th)	+0.2 (48th)
Joel Embiid	1584	+12.4 (97th)	-2.0 (70th)	-1.0% (71st)	-0.2% (44th)	-0.0% (51st)	-4.8 (96th)
Matisse Thybulle	1254	-2.7 (38th)	+1.0 (41st)	-0.4% (58th)	+1.3% (82nd)	+0.4% (44th)	+4.4 (9th)
Kawhi Leonard	1770	+12.6 (97th)	-2.3 (74th)	-0.1% (52nd)	+1.0% (75th)	-3.3% (91st)	+0.3 (46th)

Anybody else noticing a pattern here? If it’s a pattern of elite defense than you hit the nail right on the head.

In all seriousness though… It looks like one of the necessities to receive the designation is at least 3 of the 5 categories… Must be higher than the league’s 80th percentile.

Now notice anything about ‘The Flying V’—patent pending—and his stats?

Vince Williams Jr’s passing lane pressure is so disruptive to the Pacers’ set offense. Forcing late shot clock, low percentage looks… pic.twitter.com/4ROL6lXeDk

— Steven Adams Stats (@funakistats) January 28, 2024

Ding ding ding he’s right in line with that 3 out of 5 criteria lined out above. And you have to imagine those will only keep improving the more minutes he gets.

If this is how he’s playing in only his sophomore season? It’s not a matter of if but a matter of when Vince earns the designation. Which is quite marvelous.

Considering the incredible deal the Grizzlies have him locked up on… And the way that he’s far out-playing his draft position… Vince Williams Jr. may go down as the fanciest feather in the cap of Zach Kleiman. And that’s in cap with plenty of feathers as is.

But if he can say that he found the ‘Grindson’… The second coming of the ‘Grindfather’—Tony Allen—in Vince Williams Jr.? A guy who figures to be apart of this core? As well as the part of Memphis’ championship aspirations moving forward?

A guy who will someday win more than one All-Defense Team honor before his time in Beale St. is over? I’ve got a feeling Vince Williams Jr.—like myself—will wind up chalking that up as a win.

Photo credit: (David Zalubowski/AP Photo)