Grant Williams has become an important piece of the Boston Celtics puzzle.
Not only is he a solid defender who’s capable of knocking down outside shots. He’s also quite the chatterbox, which seemingly has had a positive impact on locker room morale.
“For good or bad, yes, he has a voice,” Celtics head coach Ime Udoka joked Thursday on 98.5 The Sports Hub’s “Zolak and Bertrand.” “He’s very talkative, very opinionated, but on the floor is what we need. We need communication, very vocal, and we encourage that. And like I said, off the court, he doesn’t stop, either. So, we take it with a grain of salt, and we’ll take it if he’s that vocal on the court.”
So, what is Williams’ most unorthodox opinion?
“That he should get plays ran for him like Jayson (Tatum) and Jaylen (Brown) do,” Udoka quipped. “I called one play for him this year against Oklahoma City when (Shai) Gilgeous-Alexander was on him. And he got a post-up, and Gil just blocked him at the rim, and that was pretty much his one attempt.”
An offense centered around Grant Williams? Now there’s an outside-the-box idea.
Williams has come a long way as an offensive performer since being drafted 22nd overall in 2019. In fact, he’s mastered the art of the corner 3-pointer, shooting 41.1% from beyond the arc during the regular season and so far carrying that momentum into the NBA playoffs.
But Tatum and Brown obviously provide a ton of firepower as Boston’s franchise cornerstones. Thus, Udoka doesn’t need to lean on Williams for much scoring, much to the 23-year-old’s chagrin.
