The Celtics like to give Grant Williams a hard time for his outgoing personality inside the locker room, but there’s clearly a level of respect there.
That much became clear when the veteran forward was named one of the finalists for the NBA’s Twyman-Stokes Teammate of the Year Award, the league announced Thursday.
The other nominees are Mikal Bridges (Brooklyn Nets), Darius Garland (Cleveland Cavaliers), Udonis Haslem (Miami Heat), Derrick Rose (New York Knicks), Harrison Barnes (Sacramento Kings), Stephen Curry (Golden State Warriors), Aaron Gordon (Denver Nuggets), Jaren Jackson Jr. (Memphis Grizzlies), Damion Lee (Phoenix Suns), Damian Lillard (Portland Trail Blazers) and last year’s winner, Jrue Holiday (Milwaukee Bucks).
The award is given to “the player deemed the best teammate based on selfless play, on- and off-the-court leadership as a mentor and role model to other players in and around the NBA, as well as commitment and dedication to the player’s team.”
Perhaps the coolest thing he’s done as a teammate? Campaigning for others to win some NBA end-of-season awards.
Williams has had a solid if not unspectacular season for the Celtics. The 24-year-old declined a contract extension prior to the season, expecting his numbers to jump with a bigger role. The numbers have improved, setting career highs in points (8.3), rebounds (4.7), assists (1.7) and steals (0.6) per game, but the role has been extremely inconsistent.
That could change Thursday, as he will return to the lineup alongside Robert Williams III against the Milwaukee Bucks.
