On March 1, the Boston Celtics defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers, although they did so without the help of Grant Williams, who remained glued to the bench throughout the contest.
Williams, 24, had played every game he was available for this season until head coach Joe Mazzulla decided to keep him glued to the bench as the Celtics found their offensive rhythm against a genuine Eastern Conference contender.
Speaking to the media following the game, Mazzulla shared his reasoning for keeping Williams glued to the bench.
What went into the decision not to play Grant Williams?
“Matchups”
“Just matchups on the offensive end as far as spacing the floor and having rim protection. And so, when Mike was in, we were able to play a different defensive lineup, didn’t wanna switch these guys as much in that second unit,” Mazzulla said.
Williams has been solid for the Celtics this season, averaging 8.4 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game while shooting 45.7% from the field and 40.4% from three-point range.
Jaylen Brown Shares Thoughts on Williams Benching
After missing the Celtics’ loss against the New York Knicks, Jaylen Brown returned to the rotation against Cleveland and impressed throughout. When speaking to the media following the game, Brown was asked about Williams’ benching,
“Everybody is sacrificing to some extent”
Jaylen Brown speaks about Grant Williams & trying to navigate a talented roster
“For Grant, just keep his head. You know, he knows what he brings to this team and what type of player he is, and he’s been able to carve value out in this league, so, a couple of games here or there based on whatever the coaching staff think doesn’t mean any more or any less. Grant has helped us win playoff games. Grant helped us get to the finals last year. Obviously, we’re gonna need him,” Brown said.
Williams is in the final few months of his rookie-scale contract and will become an unrestricted free agent once the current season reaches a conclusion, leading many fans to believe he could be a flight risk should the team be unable to agree on new terms.
Grant Williams Expected to Demand a Big Salary Increase
According to a February 13 report by Marc Stein in his SteinLine newsletter, there is a belief that Williams could be looking to sign a deal in the region of $20 million per year this summer.
More on the KD trade … more on the NBA buyout market … more around-the-league notes via This Week In Basketball … all freshly dispatched to inboxes and @SubstackInc apps worldwide:
” The Celtics, to no one’s surprise, did not trade Grant Williams. Making minor tweaks was the understandable preference for the defending Eastern Conference champions when they ranked as the league’s only team with a win total in the 40s entering Monday’s play. Yet rumbles persist that various teams are monitoring the situation and curious about Williams’ future there. Williams is poised to become a restricted free agent this summer and said to be seeking a contract in the Keldon Johnson-in-San Antonio, $20-million-annually range,” Stein reported.
Comments
Celtics Joe Mazzulla Breaks Silence on Surprise Grant Williams Benching