There’s no question who is the star of the Grizzlies’ summer league roster. 

It’s Ziaire Williams, the second-year player with plenty of NBA minutes under his belt. So while his teammates continue to find their footing, it’s Williams who has been a steady piece — even if the handle is shaky.

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That’s why he’s there and not seated on the sideline with Ja Morant and John Konchar. Williams, just 20 years old, is attempting to take the next step in his development, and this is the place where he is free to experiment. 

Williams’ 19-point and four-rebound performance Thursday night in the Grizzlies’ 95-84 win over Utah in the last Salt Lake City Summer League game was another step in the right direction. 

He spent much of last season in an off-the-ball role shooting 3s from the corner and hounding opponents with his on-ball defense. But this summer league, the Grizzlies have put the ball in the hands of their young wing and have challenged him to create for himself. 

Williams handed off to teammate Xavier Tillman Sr. in the early going and cut back door for a dunk. He also pulled up for a 3-pointer off the dribble that went down. In the second half, he made several jumpers near the free-throw line, and twice made the shot plus the foul. 

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“I’m still growing,” he said in the television interview after the game. “I’m having fun playing on the ball. I’m trying to make myself and my teammates better while limiting the mistakes.”

But it was a rough opening quarter for Memphis, which finished with just 17 points through the first 10 minutes despite those early scores from Williams. Tillman shot just 2-for-6, and the other summer league veteran, Santi Aldama, had four turnovers.

Revenge tour?

Can revenge games happen in summer league? Because as the Grizzlies were struggling to score, they were playing against two former Memphis players. 

Bruno Caboclo, who played 56 games for the Grizzlies from 2018 to 2020, scored 17 for Utah. The player tagged “two years away from being two years away” is now 26 years old, and won the MVP of the Brazilian BCLA (Basketball Champions League Americas) earlier this year. 

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Xavier Sneed, who played two games for Memphis last season, also suited up for the Jazz. He scored seven points, but challenged Williams on the defensive end.

“They told me at halftime to keep it simple and don’t try to play too much with him,” Williams said. “Credit to him, he’s a competitor. He made us work for it.”

And — in an effort for complete honesty — that might have been the most interesting Memphis storyline in the first half, because it was sloppy. Well, and summer league darling Kenneth Lofton Jr. was in street clothes, getting a night of rest. 

Memphis shot 16-for-45 in the first half (35.6%). 

Roddy bounces back

The Grizzlies snapped out of their spell in the third quarter and erased what was once a double-digit deficit by the start of the fourth. 

First-round selection David Roddy found his offensive game to help cut the deficit. He passed the ball well in transition and used his bigger frame to create scoring angles. 

After finishing with just four points in his summer league debut on Tuesday, Roddy scored 16 on Thursday night. It was an encouraging game after his struggles with the pace of play against Philadelphia. 

guard in space. mhm.
get out on the break. mhm. @droddy22 | #HotGrizzSummer pic.twitter.com/eVN6DZPGHY

— Memphis Grizzlies (@memgrizz) July 8, 2022

His fellow rookies, as well as Williams, also aided in the comeback. Kennedy Chandler (12 points, two assists) showed his speed with a drive down the lane, then Jake LaRavia (six points, three rebounds) sprinted in transition for a highlight dunk. 

Memphis closed the third quarter on a 16-5 run, then opened up the fourth on another 16-5 run. The Grizzlies led by 11 with five minutes to play, and never trailed from there. 

“We started off a little sluggish today,” Williams said. “We went in the locker room and reset. I’m just glad we came out strong in the second half.”

Tillman and hoops journeyman Tremont Waters were also worthy of mention in the winning effort. Tillman grabbed a game-high 14 rebounds to go with 10 points, and Waters had five steals and scored 10 points. 

Memphis now heads to Las Vegas Summer League, where it will play four games in six days beginning Saturday against the Clippers (8:30 p.m. Central time).