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The Boston Celtics might be gearing up to face the Atlanta Hawks in the first round of the 2023 NBA playoffs, but the risk of losing Grant Williams for nothing this summer still looms large.
According to Bleacher Report’s Zach Buckley, there is a chance that Williams ultimately ends up signing an offer sheet from another team, only for the Celtics to match the offer and keep him as part of their core for the coming years.
“Boston knows Al Horford isn’t getting any younger and has no reason to believe Robert Williams III’s injury issues are going away. Letting go of a high-level depth piece might be roster malpractice…Prediction: Williams signs an offer sheet elsewhere, but Boston matches it,” Buckley wrote.
Given the importance Williams appears to hold within Boston’s rotation, they will likely feel pressured to match any offer sheet they deem to be reasonable, rather than risk losing one of their home grown talents for nothing.
Williams has had an interesting season this year, coming out of the gates hot and showing improvements to his offensive game, yet as the season wore on, Williams began to regress and now looks set for a battle with Sam Hauser for rotational minutes in the postseason.
Dejounte Murray Excited to Face Celtics
Williams’ role within Boston’s rotation may be under question, but the same can’t be said for Hawks guard Dejounte Murray, who has played his role of a defensive stopper and secondary option besides Trae Young to perfection this year.
When speaking to the media following the Hawk’s April 11 victory over the Miami Heat, Murray shared his excitement at facing off against one of the NBA’s best teams.
“You got guys or people that always say, ‘you want to play this team, you don’t want to play this team,’ you know, obviously Boston’s at the top because they went to the finals last year,” Murray said. “But last year is last year. And, for me personally, I want the best, you know, obviously, just being competitive, and that’s just how I was raised – to want to play the best and obviously, they’re one of the best and it’s gonna be a great series and we’re gonna go out and try to win a series.”
Murray will likely be tasked with defending Jaylen Brown throughout the first-round series, which could be a swing factor for both teams.
Jaylen Brown Believes He Deserves All-NBA
Jaylen Brown has experienced a leap in his offensive abilities this season, earning himself a second All-Star appearance and putting himself in a position to earn an All-NBA selection in the process.
During a recent interview with Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe, Brown explained why he believes he deserves a spot among the league’s elite.
“I think I’m more than deserving. This is the second-best team in the league. I’ve played nothing but winning basketball, helped lead my team and I’m in the [top] 10 in scoring and I’m efficient. I guess you look at the criteria and I think I more than meet it. We’ve dominated for the most part of the season. I’ve been available. What more do people want,” Brown said.
