Grizlies wing Vince Williams, who recently experienced pain in his left shin during a training session, underwent imaging on the affected area and has been diagnosed with a stress reaction in the upper portion of his tibia, the team announced today in a press release (Twitter link).
According to the Grizzlies, Williams will be sidelined for at least the next four weeks before being reevaluated. While the club says he’s expected to make a full recovery, there are no guarantees he’ll be ready to play at the four-week mark. Further updates will be provided as appropriate, per the Grizzlies.
Memphis will play its first game of the regular season in 26 days, so even if Williams makes a speedy recovery, it sounds like he won’t be available for opening night.
No NBA team was hit harder by injuries last season than the Grizzlies, and while there was hope that their bad luck wouldn’t carry over to 2024/25, Williams is the second player to be affected this fall by a relatively significant health issue. Forward GG Jackson underwent surgery to repair a broken bone in his foot earlier this month and was ruled out for at least the first six weeks of the regular season.
The Grizzlies should have enough depth to withstand the losses early in the season, but Jackson and Williams both emerged as productive rotation players in expanded roles last season and were expected to play regular minutes again this fall.
Williams, who turned 24 last month, averaged 10.0 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 3.4 assists in 27.5 minutes per game across 52 outings (33 starts) in 2023/24, posting a shooting line of .446/.378/.800. He began the season on a two-way deal before being converted to a standard multiyear contract in January.