According to reports, the Miami Heat have added guard Alondes Williams to their summer roster. Williams spent the previous season playing for the Long Island Nets, the Brooklyn Nets' G League team, after going undrafted in the 2022 NBA Draft. The young guard initially started his collegiate career at the University of Oklahoma but experienced significant growth after transferring to Wake Forest University.
During the 2021-22 season with Wake Forest, Williams showcased his skills, earning the title of Atlantic Coast Conference Player of the Year. In 35 games, he averaged 18.5 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 5.2 assists per game while shooting 50.7 percent from the field and 28.2 percent from beyond the arc. With his dynamic offensive abilities, Williams will have the opportunity to impress the Heat's coaching staff and front office during the summer roster and potentially secure a spot on the team for the 2023-24 season.
The Miami Heat have a track record of developing undrafted free agents into key contributors, with players like Gabe Vincent, Caleb Martin, Max Strus, Duncan Robinson, and Haywood Highsmith making significant contributions in recent seasons. Williams spent most of the 2022-23 season playing for Long Island in the G League, appearing in 24 regular-season games. During that time, he averaged 13.5 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 2.9 assists per game while shooting 51.3 percent from the field and 37.5 percent from three-point range.
While his G League sample size is relatively small, Williams demonstrated his ability to compete at a high level during his impressive college career. Notably, he won the ACC Player of the Year award over Paolo Banchero, who was selected as the first overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft. Banchero was Williams' college rival during his standout 2021-22 season at Wake Forest.
Although there are no guarantees regarding Williams' impact with the Miami Heat, it is intriguing to see the franchise give him an opportunity. The Heat have relied heavily on undrafted players in the Jimmy Butler era and have achieved significant success, including two NBA Finals appearances and three Eastern Conference Finals appearances. In the 2022-23 season, Miami even reached the Finals as the eighth seed.
If Williams performs well during the summer for the Heat, there is a chance he could earn an invitation to the team's training camp and compete for a spot on the regular-season roster.
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