The Boston Celtics are one of the hottest teams in the NBA right now and there are multiple reasons why. The core of the team has been healthy and on the floor together consistently, they’ve found their identity through defensive fluidity, and role players are stepping up. We are seeing a lot of the young guys who have struggled in the past start to find consistent success and are producing for the Celtics. That has been a major issue for Boston in years past. When it comes to the Celtics, everybody mentions Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. However, Grant Williams has been one of the biggest surprises for the team this season.
Williams’ Progression
Grant Williams is a third-year player out of the University of Tennessee. In his first two years, he struggled on both ends of the floor. He is a smaller-statured big man who was not very polished offensively. Last year, he started to find some success from the three-point line. This year, he’s the team’s best shooter from distance. That’s not the only improvement he’s made, Williams has also turned into a stout defender for the Celtics.
Offense
Grant Williams’ stats do not jump off the page by any means. He is averaging 7.7 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 1.1 assists per game. That seems insignificant, but all three are career highs. He is also having a career year in shooting percentage. Williams is currently shooting 49.2 percent from the field and 43.8 percent from three. He is absolute money from three and played a huge role in the Celtics’ most recent win against the Hawks on Tuesday night.
With Jaylen Brown out with an ankle injury he suffered in the first quarter, the rest of the team had to step up. In that game, Williams had 18 points. He also had two of the biggest buckets to seal the win. His ability to knock down shots has alleviated some of the attention that Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum receive.
Defense
One of the biggest changes that Grant Williams made over the offseason was his weight loss. Williams reportedly lost at least 15 pounds since last season. This has allowed him to stick with power forwards and even some wings. His versatility allows the Celtics to play the type of defense they do. They switch assignments better than any team in the league. They do this flawlessly on a nightly basis and it’s because of guys like Grant Williams.
A great example of the Celtics connectedness on defense. The switching and rotations look effortless. pic.twitter.com/PIa1cIrV9s
— Pull up shoot (@NElGHT_) February 27, 2022
Grant Williams has earned his spot in this rotation. He is now averaging 23.6 minutes per game, which is up from 18.7 minutes last year. He is one of the leaders on the defensive end of the floor, especially when the starters are on the bench.
Earning the Team’s Trust
The Celtics typically stick with a condensed eight to nine-man rotation. If you’re in that rotation, you have earned head coach, Ime Udoka’s trust. However, Udoka is not the only one who’s noticed his improvement.
“He’s shot the ball extremely well and expanded the game. I think he’s obviously a key part of our team in what we’re trying to do moving forward, and just to have another guy that can make plays off the dribble, especially driving close-outs and things like that, everybody feels comfortable with Grant doing that because we see the work he puts in.” – Jayson Tatum.
John Karalis, Boston Sports Journal
There are a lot of guys on the Celtics that deserve a lot of credit. Some could also be labeled as unsung heroes. Guys like Robert Williams, Al Horford, and Marcus Smart could all be labeled as unsung heroes. The reason multiple guys deserve so much credit is due to how well they are playing as a team. For the first time since the 2019-2020 season, the Celtics are 10 games over .500. Teams and media alike are starting to take notice. The Eastern Conference is loaded this year, but don’t be shocked to see Boston making a deep run in the playoffs.
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