Boston Celtics forward Grant Williams underwent successful hand surgery that’s expected to sideline him for a multi-week span, the team announced Friday.
Williams, 24, is one of the biggest offseason question marks for the Celtics, as he’ll be a restricted free agent this summer, fresh off a failed attempt at agreeing on a multi-year contract extension last offseason with Boston.
The surgical procedure, which repaired a torn ligament in Williams’ left hand, addressed a left-hand injury that he suffered — and played through — during Boston’s Eastern Conference Finals battle with the Miami Heat, which went the distance in seven games. The Celtics revealed that Williams will be kept from basketball-related activities for 6-to-8 weeks but is expected to make a full recovery in time for NBA training camp in the fall.
Williams himself also addressed the news on Twitter just minutes after the report surfaced.
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This past season was both successful and extremely perplexing for Williams.
On the one hand, the Tennessee product nailed a career-best in points (8.1), rebounds (4.6), assists (1.7) and minutes played (25.6). However, there was no consistency in the way that Williams was utilized under head coach Joe Mazzulla, leaving Williams to take a slight back seat in comparison to his role with former head coach Ime Udoka. This confusion even carried onto the postseason.
Williams registered five DNPs in the playoffs and played just 17.7 minutes, which was a downgrade to his 27.3 minutes during the team’s NBA Finals run last year, which Mazzulla continuously (and vaguely) chalked up to “matchups.”
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Obviously, this became especially hard to understand when Mazzulla relied on Williams more heavily when the desperation levels rose for the Celtics and elimination quickly came knocking on their doorstep, giving Williams 24.8 minutes of court time in Games 2 through 7 against Miami.
With an unclear future ahead, the Celtics and Williams both have plenty to consider.
Featured image via Sam Navarro/USA TODAY Sports Images
