The number one small forward in the United States, known as George s successor, has only been less than 4 years old, and now he is completely in decline!

This season, for the 2021 rookies, they are experiencing the first real test of their careers. In the brutal competition in the league, some people have emerged and become the mainstay of the team, such as Cad Cunningham, Evan Mobley, Franz Wagner and others. Of course, some people are gradually lost and lose the light when they first entered the league. For example, Zaire Williams, who was once known as George's successor and is recognized as the number one small forward in 2021, was borne by countless people when he entered the league. However, four years later, his career trajectory has undergone earth-shaking changes, from the attention of everyone to the complete decline of today, which makes people sigh. Let’s walk into Zaire Williams’s career together and see what he has experienced over the years!

1. The No. 1 small forward in the United States is gradually lost in the NCAA.

As early in high school, Zaire Williams had already shown great potential and talent. When he was in the Virgin High School, he could contribute 13.6 points and 6.5 rebounds in his first year of high school. Whether it was mid- and long-distance shooting or sharp breakthroughs, it made the scouts' eyes shine. In his sophomore season, although he missed a lot of games due to injury, Zaire's height soared to 2.06 meters, so the scouts are still very optimistic about his future. Of course, Zaire did not disappoint the scouts. After returning to health, he scored 27 points, 10 rebounds and assists in his senior year. It is precisely because of this that Sierra Canyon High School introduced him, and Zaire soon became familiar with it, forming a strong outside combination with BJ Boston, and there are also LeBron James, Dwayne Wade's son Brownie James, and Zaire Wade. He also received great exposure by their side. Average of 15 points, 7.9 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game, which is the data sheet he handed over. In addition, in the state championship final, he scored 25 points, 6 rebounds and 4 steals alone, helping the team win the championship, and his popularity reached its peak. In the summer of 2020, Zaire was the top in the five-star high school student rankings selected by major media across the United States. Scouts regarded him as Paul George's successor and believed that he was the number one high school student in the United States at that time. In addition, he also participated in the World Cup with the U19 national team and won the gold medal, which made him even more famous and eventually gained many offers from top NCAA schools, and the university he entered was Stanford University. However, at Stanford, Zaire has not been able to fully demonstrate his due talent. He averaged 10.7 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game. It is obvious that there is a big gap compared to his dominance in high school. Moreover, his shooting is extremely unstable, and his strength and confrontation are also very average. Therefore, some scouts and the media have begun to question whether he can adapt to the NBA as the number one small forward in the United States. If Zaire had continued to study in the NCAA for a season, he might have been even better, but he could not wait to enter the NBA. Therefore, he participated in the 2021 NBA Draft. Fortunately, he was selected with the 10th pick in the first round and successfully entered the NBA.

2. All aspects were unable to adapt and were helplessly given up by the Grizzlies.

After being selected by the Pelicans, he was soon traded by the team. Although he experienced the cruelty of the business league, fortunately the team he joined was the rising Grizzlies, which was a good opportunity for him. The Grizzlies had already begun to rise at that time. Under the leadership of Ja Morant, Desmond Bain, Jaren Jackson Jr. and others, the Grizzlies won the second record in the Western Conference in the 21-22 season, which was a very impressive performance for the small-season market. After Zaire came to the team, coach Jenkins still gave him a lot of opportunities. Even if he was just a rookie, he could still get 21.7 minutes of playing time per game, which shows the team's expectations for him. But Zaire disappointed the team. He can only contribute 8.1 points, 2.1 rebounds and 1 assist per game. His offensive shooting is still unstable, and his ball quotient is worrying. He often chooses to shoot top people, and his efficiency is extremely low. Moreover, due to insufficient strength, although the breakthrough is more flexible, it has almost no killing ability. In addition, the defensive end is almost like a loophole, so after the first season, his position and opportunity in the team have entered a precarious state.

What is even more disappointing is that since the second grade, he has been suffering from injuries. He missed a lot of games at the beginning of the game due to patellar tendonitis, and then his right foot injury also repeated. As a result, he only played 37 games in total. Due to his long-term absence, this also leads to his own development being very limited. After all, even if the team is willing to give him a chance, he cannot play. When he plays and stops, it is very likely that the team's tactical system will be affected. Therefore, starting this year, his playing time has begun to decrease. The most obvious thing is in the playoffs. He only played 4 games and played a total of 12 minutes. By the 23-24 season, he still could not get rid of the trouble of injury. While missing 31 games again, his average of only 8.2 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game, his shooting ability did not improve at all, and his defensive end was also disappointing. You know, the Grizzlies are in a bad season this season, and the team has given a lot of time, but he still cannot realize his talent. In the end, the Grizzlies also lost hope for him, and last summer, they sent him to the Brooklyn Nets through a deal.

3. Completely lost the NBA, and the future development is worrying.

Although it was sent away by the Grizzlies, this is actually an opportunity for Zaire. After all, since the Nets sent away Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, they have been in a state of bad shape for a long time. Last summer, they also sent Mikal Bridges away, which was basically a sign that was a big hit to the No. 1 pick. But even in this case, Zaire has almost occupied a stable starting position in the team, but still cannot play satisfactory performance, averaged only 10 points, 4.6 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game, and shot only 41.2% from the field. This is the last year of his rookie contract, which is crucial to stay in the NBA in the future, but he still disappoints. Although he is only 23 years old, he has been in a state of standing still in the past four years. Seeing Cunningham, Mobley and others who were in the same class have won hundreds of millions of contracts, and whether he can stay in the NBA in the future has become a problem, perhaps he will also lament that his fate is too much.