Malik Williams signs a 10-day deal with the Raptors.
Center Malik Williams of the NBA G League’s Sioux Falls Skyforce will be joining the Toronto Raptors on a 10-day contract, his agent Brian Jungreis of Seros Partners said to @TheAthletic @Stadium. For Sioux Falls, the 6-11 big man has averaged 11.1 points, 9.3 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks.
Williams spent five years as a starter at Louisville, where he averaged 8.8 points and 7.0 rebounds in his junior and senior years. He missed the majority of his fourth year due to a foot injury. He’s a powerful big man who excels at defense. He played in the Polish League for Anwil Wloclawek in 2022–23 after being selected undrafted in the NBA draft.
This G League season, he made a big splash. His numbers improved all over when he started the regular season as a starter after starting the Showcase Cup on the bench. He has had some incredible performances, such as a 20–20 game in a significant victory over the Oklahoma City Blue. He battles to block shots and possesses great strength. Despite having a slow foot speed for his size, he has been able to compete with guards at every other level of his career, if only briefly. It’s unclear if it will hold true in the NBA, where guards are considerably quicker and more explosive. He can strip guys on the rim quite well if he doesn’t meet them above the hoop because of his quick hands. He can see passes go over his head because he lacks remarkable vertical pop. It takes a while to get adjusted in the pick and roll in the NBA since positioning is so difficult.
He can pass the ball quite well for a big man, and it appears that he does it naturally when he gets the ball. Though he’s in some ways an old-school big, he finds cutters from the short roll.
Above all, Williams is a large defender joining a squad that, if you include Kelly Olynyk, doesn’t have many of those. For the rest of the season, the Raptors sorely need someone who can bang with big bodies, and he will deliver. Compared to the Raptors’ previous few G-League acquisitions, he has a clearer route to playing time and impact. Anticipate him to notice time almost instantly. Over his career, he has suffered several ailments to the same foot, including a fracture that kept him out of school for the most of his fourth year. However, he has been playing incredibly well and is healthy this year.