Getty Grant Williams, Boston Celtics
At the end of the fourth quarter, with a potential win for the Boston Celtics on the line, Grant Williams found himself at the free-throw line.
For a moment, the camera cut to Williams and Cleveland Cavaliers All-Star Donovan Mitchell, jovially trash-talking, where Williams can clearly be seen telling his All-Star counterpart that he’s going to make both of his charity stripe attempts. However, Williams went on to miss both free throws, and the game went to overtime, where Boston ultimately lost.
During his post-game press conference, Mitchell addressed the conversation he was having with Williams at that moment and noted how he encouraged the Tennesse native to miss one of his attempts.
“Yeah, he did (say he was going to make both.) We have a PA call on Thursday, I think it is, or Friday. So I was just like, let’s just miss one and talk about it and see what happens,” Mitchell said, “He gave us both, and I almost lost us the game. I didn’t box out Marcus Smart and he came in for the tip…Thank God he missed them and we got the win.”
Williams has been struggling with his shot since the Celtics returned from the All-Star break but managed to find his range during the March 6 contest, hitting four of his five three-point shots.
Jaylen Brown Supports Grant Williams Amid Struggles
During his own post-game press conference, Jaylen Brown discussed Williams missed free throws and his overall struggles of late, noting how he has faith that the three-and-d wing will bounce back stronger.
“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 Expected to Stay With The Celtics
Williams, 24, is set to become a restricted free agent at the end of the season, leading to multiple rumors surfacing about his potential contract demands and other interested parties watching the situation unfold.
However, according to MassLive’s Brian Robb, Williams is likely to remain in Boston due to his defensive upside when guarding superstars such as Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Has Grant Williams become the ‘New Marcus Smart’ in the sense that he’s the most divisive player on the roster among fans?
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“I fully expect Grant Williams back next year. Why? Look no further than Giannis Antetokounmpo who will not be going anywhere as long as these Celtics are trying to contend,” Robb wrote, “With Al Horford turning 37 and Rob Williams just not a good matchup for him as a strength standpoint, letting Williams walk (with no appealing means to replace him) would be foolish for a contender. He will be back barring an upset but the Celtics will have more leverage now in contract talks with a couple in-house replacement options.”