Boston Celtics forward Grant Williams has seen 11 days make all the difference in terms of how he’s viewed around the NBA.
Williams was a healthy scratch in three of the six games Boston played in its first-round series against the Atlanta Hawks. In the three games he did play, the 24-year-old totaled 17 points, four rebounds, three assists and two steals across 36 minutes played, finishing as a minus-6 in the box score. It was an inconsistent showing that was representative of his inconsistent playing time throughout the regular season.
In the Eastern Conference semifinals against the Philadelphia 76ers, he’s been anything but.
“He’s in the (Marcus) Smart category where when he’s on the floor, we’re able to just be really dynamic defensively because of his versatility, his communication, his toughness and his ability to guard different matchups,” Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla said Saturday, per Souichi Terada of MassLive.
That versatility, toughness and ability to guard across all five positions has been on full display against Philly. Though he isn’t scoring the ball with any consistency, Williams has totaled an average of 18.7 minutes per game and has been one of the primary defenders on NBA MVP Joel Embiid. Despite literally getting stepped on as a result of it, the former Tennessee Volunteer has been superb, and was a key factor in Boston’s ability to win Game 3 and take a 2-1 series lead.
The ability to match up with an MVP just days after being a healthy scratch is extremely impressive, which isn’t lost on Williams’ teammates.
“I mean, it has to be tough,” Jayson Tatum said following Game 3, per NBA-provided video. “I think that’s just a testament to his character, being a professional, staying ready. You know, on off days Grant is in there playing five-on-five with the lower minute guys. He’s not necessarily knowing when he’s going to play, but he’s staying ready. We talk to him all the time about keeping his head. ‘Keep your head up. We’re going to need you. At some point you’re going to play a part.’ Tonight showed that.”
There’s no doubt Williams will be relied upon heavily as the Celtics-76ers series rolls on. Should he continue to have the same impact he’s had so far, it might not last too long.
