Grant Williams went into Wednesday’s game against Brooklyn shooting 42.2% from 3-point range. Over the last month the Celtics power forward has looked very much like the versatile “3-and-D” Danny Ainge hoped he was getting in the 2019 draft.
Further proof is that by the end of Monday’s win over Houston, the Rockets were attempting to close out on Williams from the arc.
And then there’s a new sense of respect from teammates for Williams’ shooting.
“They never say much. It’s one of those things where from my rookie year to last year they were happy I was making shots. Now it’s like they expect it,” said Williams. “They’re not patting me on my back much because they don’t want anything to go to my head. They just want me to keep doing what I’m doing, and keep having that confidence and exuberance for shooting the basketball.”
It could be that the only boost Williams needed was his recent stint as a starter due to the respective absences of Jaylen Brown and Robert Williams.
“I think you have more opportunity when you’re in that starting lineup,” said Grant. “You’re asked to do a little more and I take it as it comes. One night might be five points where you knock down two shots, or you may play great defense like that Lakers game, and another night it may be 18. Not trying to force anything, understanding that the game’s gonna roll the right way if you play the right way.
“My improvement I attribute to the coaching staff that I’ve had,” he said. “Brandon Bailey, I thank him to this day about my defensive growth, coming in my rookie year and being able to step up and go through all the drills we had every single day. So I’m grateful to have him. As well as the two guys who worked with me throughout the process and my coaching staff back at Tennessee, whether it was Chris Matthews and Blake Boehringer — those guys have been great for me in terms of confidence shooting the ball and approaching the game in mental way, not just physical work hard every two-hour workout. It’s more like you have to get your work in and get out, and that’s something I look back to and I’m very thankful for. I just have to keep taking those strides and move forward as this team needs me to do.”
Remembering the Nets
Wednesday marked the Celtics’ first game against Brooklyn since they were eliminated in five games in last season’s first round playoff series.
Despite all of the changes to these Celtics, enough remain from that embarrassment last spring.
“For the guys that are here, I feel like it’s one of those things where you want to compete, or you want to get that back,” said Williams. “For the new guys, it’s more so new season, new team, and that’s kind of how we all view it: we’re a new team, new season, so we’re just approaching it as if it was just another game.
“But we definitely have that competitive nature where we don’t forget what happened to us in the past,” he said. “I feel like no matter who you are in the basketball world, you remember when you got your butt kicked. So, it’s going to be exciting, it’s going to be fun, and I know the Boston crowd is going to be just as excited as we are.”
Injury report
The Celtics went into the Nets game with the status of several players uncertain. Jaylen Brown (hamstring injury management), and Robert Williams and Josh Richardson (non-COVID illnesses) were all listed as questionable.
Robert Williams, who recently missed three straight games with knee soreness, at least appears to have overcome that lingering issue.