Brooklyn Nets forward Ziaire Williams was off to the best start of his NBA career prior to sustaining his lower back/glute contusion in a 118-107 loss at the San Antonio Spurs. Brooklyn had been relying on Williams to provide shooting and perimeter defense off the bench and even if they Williams back soon, he will have to deal with what could proud to be a nagging injury.
“Ziaire Williams sustained a “small, very minor” back fracture in addition to a contusion after a hard fall during the Nets’ loss Sunday in San Antonio,” Andrew Crane of the New York Post wrote regarding Williams. Crane caught up with Williams at a Raising Cane’s event in New York City’s Time Square where the fifth-year forward explained what he will be dealing with when he gets back on the floor.
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“It locked up on me, but it’s something that can’t get worse. So at this point, it’s just a pain tolerance thing, so as soon as the pain just goes down, it’s never gonna be perfect at least right now,” Williams continued. “But, as long as it’s just enough for me to get through it, and defensive slides and stuff, then I’ll play.”
Williams, 24, is currently averaging 10.3 points, 2.0 rebounds, and 1.3 steals per game while shooting 50.0% from the field and 46.7% from three-point land in just three games played this season. Williams had by far his best game of the season in a 131-124 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Oct. 24 when he put up 25 points, two rebounds, and two steals while shooting 9-of-13 from the floor and 6-of-9 from deep.
In the meantime, Brooklyn head coach Jordi Fernandez will be relying on forwards Jalen Wilson and Tyrese Martin to pick up the slack while Williams is out as the Nets look for their first win of the season. As of this writing, the Nets haven’t announced when Williams will be back in the lineup, but it seems like his back/glute injury isn’t too severe to worry about at the moment.
This article originally appeared on Nets Wire: Nets’ Ziaire Williams dealing with “small, very minor” back fracture