Grant Williams thread

[hugepatsfan]

Here's a write up I did on Grant on another site:

He's an undersized, but strong, 4 that is capable of guarding up or down a spot. Even as a rookie he's proven effective on the defensive side of the ball. The question with him is shooting. He's played 62 games and he essentially had two seasons. In his first 20 games he hit ZERO threes. He was 0-25. It was laughable. In game 21, he got over the hump and hit that first three and it turned a corner for him. After going 0-25 in the first 20 games he's gone 21-60 over the last 42 (35%). His FT% on the year is 72.5%, his college FT% was 75.8% and his college 3pt% was 29% overall, 33% his last year. All of those factors lead me to believe that he was in his own head to start his career and the 35% is closer to what he really is though probably a little inflated. Main takeaway is that I do believe the 0-25 stretch was an outlier. Otherwise on offense, he's a heady player who sets good picks and has a good feel for moving the ball and making extra passes. Struggles mightily to finish inside on contested shots due to his lack of length though.

So what does the future hold for him? It mainly depends on his shooting. I don't want to say "NBA player comps" but here are a few guys whose games I think he can attempt to emulate...

Boris Diaw. He had a similar build to Grant Williams as short for a PF but stocky (Williams is a little shorter but a little stockier). Diaw had a good feel for passing the ball especially inside in traffic. Williams has some of that to him. Diaw was a career 33.6% shooter but that generally went up as he got older. You'd hope Williams could have a similar progression of improving a bit in that area. I think that's the type of offensive game you hope that Williams can try to build. Over Diaw's prime with Phoenix and Charlotte he averaged 11.3/5.2/4.5/0.7/0/7 on 50.3% shooting from the field and 35.0% from 3 across 33.0 minutes per game. In Williams last 42 games he's averaged 4.2/2.9/1.1/0.5/0.5 on 48.9% shooting from the field and 35.0% from 3 across 16.2 minutes per game. In about half the minutes Williams is about half the numbers in a lot of areas there. Hopefully he can build up to a similar sort of prime on the offensive/stats end.

On the defensive end, I think a solid comparison for him is PJ Tucker. Williams is built similarly and, like Tucker, has shown an ability to guard SFs on the perimeter as well as kick down and guard 5s to a respectable degree in small ball. I think Williams has shown not just the potential but actual production to fit that profile on defense. He'll have to learn the nuances of playing tough without fouling (and to be fair, some of that just comes with respect from the refs as you play more).

I really like a lot of the traits Williams has. Obviously gotta keep it in perspective - I'm talking about guys like Boris Diaw and PJ Tucker as players he could maybe one day develop into reasonable approximations of. I'm far from saying he's a star. But I really like skill set to develop as a good solid role player for the future. He's shown a lot of traits in college and the NBA that make me think it's reasonable he could play in the mold of those guys.

[ConstableGeneva]

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[captain green]

I'm going to need 8 and 4 out of him for the remainder of the games. He acts smart great attitude now start producing those points and rebounds.

[ConstableGeneva]

Watch on YouTube

[shackles10]

I’ve seen it on here before but what’s Grant’s 3pt% since his terrible start?

[ConstableGeneva]

I’ve seen it on here before but what’s Grant’s 3pt% since his terrible start?

Start of season until December 6: 0/25 (0%)
December 7 until All-Star Break: 20/45 (44.4%)
All-Star Break until NBA stoppage: 1/15 (6.67%)

It was nice while it lasted lol. If the pattern continues, he'll be great once play resumes then gonna suck again for the 1st couple of rounds in the playoffs then will go 80% from 3 during the Finals.

[Parliament10]

I’ve seen it on here before but what’s Grant’s 3pt% since his terrible start?

Start of season until December 6: 0/25 (0%)
December 7 until All-Star Break: 20/45 (44.4%)
All-Star Break until NBA stoppage: 1/15 (6.67%)

It was nice while it lasted lol. If the pattern continues, he'll be great once play resumes then gonna suck again for the 1st couple of rounds in the playoffs then will go 80% from 3 during the Finals.

What a rollercoaster ride, huh?

[ConstableGeneva]

Watch on YouTube

[ConstableGeneva]

I’ve seen it on here before but what’s Grant’s 3pt% since his terrible start?

Start of season until December 6: 0/25 (0%)
December 7 until All-Star Break: 20/45 (44.4%)
All-Star Break until NBA stoppage: 1/15 (6.67%)

It was nice while it lasted lol. If the pattern continues, he'll be great once play resumes then gonna suck again for the 1st couple of rounds in the playoffs then will go 80% from 3 during the Finals.

In the Bubble (RS + Playoffs): 13/28 (46.43%)

[31to6]

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Hey Smitty gets in a question here soon after the 3:00 minute mark! I know he’s long since “made it” by now but still cool to hear.

Also nice to hear that Grant says the rookies are good guys and that he likes their games (“Payton sees the game really well”).

[ConstableGeneva]

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[Fencer reregistered]

A few thoughts after the Grant video:

-- He sure sounds like a future coach.
-- The detailed critique of Tacko's game was ... unusual.
-- The one person he didn't sound like he viewed as a buddy was "Theis". The only guy I've heard about criticizing him in the past was ... Theis.

And by the way, a couple of years ago it felt like the guys with wives and young kids (Hayward, Baynes, Theis, but maybe not also Horford) were a social group apart from everybody else.

[thomas1897]

The Celtics tradition is exemplified in Grant Williams; he comes off the bench with intensity and high energy. His play is tireless and relentless; players who have these capabilities require a good supporting cast. 2021 should have a stronger bench crew that is very effective. Ojeleye, Langford and others should benefit from his work ethic. Let Grant fever be contagious so we can win a championship.

[zoyathedestroya]

I'm sticking by this guy. He plays better when the team is all about movement and sharing the ball and he's involved in the offense. When it's mostly iso stuff and he's reduced to someone waiting in the wings for a kickout three, he's less effective. Defensively, I wish he had more lift and height when he goes vertical on his challenges, but it is what it is. Can lateral quickness against the guards be improved? He also needs to work on that since they tend to switch him on guards quite a lot. Don't think he'll be more than a 7th or 8th man on a good team, but you need this type of complementary players.

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[bucknersrevenge]

I'm sticking by this guy. He plays better when the team is all about movement and sharing the ball and he's involved in the offense. When it's mostly iso stuff and he's reduced to someone waiting in the wings for a kickout three, he's less effective. Defensively, I wish he had more lift and height when he goes vertical on his challenges, but it is what it is. Can lateral quickness against the guards be improved? He also needs to work on that since they tend to switch him on guards quite a lot. Don't think he'll be more than a 7th or 8th man on a good team, but you need this type of complementary players.

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I really would love to see us make sure to get this kid a couple of post ups, a couple of short rolls a game. It will make all the difference.

[24istheLAW]

I'm sticking by this guy. He plays better when the team is all about movement and sharing the ball and he's involved in the offense. When it's mostly iso stuff and he's reduced to someone waiting in the wings for a kickout three, he's less effective. Defensively, I wish he had more lift and height when he goes vertical on his challenges, but it is what it is. Can lateral quickness against the guards be improved? He also needs to work on that since they tend to switch him on guards quite a lot. Don't think he'll be more than a 7th or 8th man on a good team, but you need this type of complementary players.

He can do a little bit of everything on offense for a big. But the fact that he lays bricks is part of why he never gets the opportunity.

If he faced hard closeouts, he would get chances to put the ball on the floor and dribble in, and make positive passes or hit floaters or get fouled or use some of the shotmaking ability he showed at Tennessee. Meanwhile, he sets good screens but he's not a threat to roll or pop. He doesn't have to be Steph Curry, but he needs to get his 3-point shooting up to the base level where it'll set him up to use his other skills.

[Half-Full]

I'm sticking by this guy. He plays better when the team is all about movement and sharing the ball and he's involved in the offense. When it's mostly iso stuff and he's reduced to someone waiting in the wings for a kickout three, he's less effective. Defensively, I wish he had more lift and height when he goes vertical on his challenges, but it is what it is. Can lateral quickness against the guards be improved? He also needs to work on that since they tend to switch him on guards quite a lot. Don't think he'll be more than a 7th or 8th man on a good team, but you need this type of complementary players.

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Grant is one of those players who does not put up gaudy numbers, but can have a big impact on the game nonetheless. He had a bit of a slow start, but has played very well the last couple of games. As I mentioned in another post, all of a sudden our second unit looks greatly improved. Grant, Semi, Timelord, and Pritchard have all played very well. Combined they scored 60 points last night. Grant's contributions included 3 blocked shots, and he can mix it up down low. He's only in his second year, and I expect he will continue to improve and be a solid contributor. But you're right, he probably will never be more than a 7th or 8th man. A solid, dependable 7th or 8th man, however, of the sort that any team would like to have, and has to have.

[31to6]

I'm sticking by this guy. He plays better when the team is all about movement and sharing the ball and he's involved in the offense. When it's mostly iso stuff and he's reduced to someone waiting in the wings for a kickout three, he's less effective. Defensively, I wish he had more lift and height when he goes vertical on his challenges, but it is what it is. Can lateral quickness against the guards be improved? He also needs to work on that since they tend to switch him on guards quite a lot. Don't think he'll be more than a 7th or 8th man on a good team, but you need this type of complementary players.

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He did all this *after* his first 3pfga of the day got swatted by Boucher. Immediately stuck a three off the ensuing inbound!

His last block — on Onunoby as was FIRE! You love to see it.

[Celts17Pride]

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Celtics had to know this is a very real possibility. Going to be interesting to see what happens with Grant.

[BK_2020]

$20 mil. a year is for a good starter. That's what a Keldon Johnson or a Mikal Bridges or a Deandre Hunter gets. Grant's comparables are guys like Dorian Finney-Smith and Kenrich Williams.