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Before the Boston Celtics went to overtime against the Cleveland Cavaliers, Grant Williams had an opportunity to clutch a victory for his team from the free-throw line.
Unfortunately, Williams missed both free throws, despite engaging in some trash talk with Donovan Mitchell where he claimed he was ‘going to make them both.’ When speaking to the media following the game, Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla addressed Williams’ struggles at the line to end the contest.
“Tell him I love him. It’s part of the game. He didn’t miss them on purpose. Just gotta be able to move on from it,” Mazzulla said.
Williams has been struggling in recent weeks, passing up open three-point shots and making some mistakes when looking to distribute the rock out of pick-and-roll possessions. However, against the Cavaliers, the Tenessee native found his range, scoring 12 points on 80% shooting from deep.
Jaylen Brown Believes Grant Williams Will Bounce Back
During his own post-game press conference on March 6, Jaylen Brown was asked about Williams’ inability to close the game out from the charity stripe, which led the All-Star wing to throw his support behind his slumping teammate.
“Yeah, it happens,” Brown said, “I’ve been in that position before, and that’s what should fuel you into being better. You can’t let it be a spirit-breaker. Grant has had a great career. And the reason why he’s been successful is because of his confidence. And now is one of the moments where his confidence is going to be tested. A lot of people are now seeing some of the adversity that he’s going through, and you got to respond as a man. You got to be better. You can’t let it take you down. You can look at it and go two different ways – you can go up, or you can go down. And I want him to go up.”
Grant Williams Could Ask For a Major Salary Increase
At the end of the current season, Williams will become a restricted free agent, allowing him to discuss contractual terms with other teams in the league but giving Boston the chance to match any offer sheet.
According to a February 13 report by Marc Stein in his SteinLine newsletter, Williams could be gearing up to ask for $20 million per season as he pursues a similar payday to that of Keldon Johnson with the San Antonio Spurs.
” 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.