Grant Williams had an extremely successful college career, receiving back-to-back SEC Player of the Year honors in his last two seasons at Tennessee. Now, Williams must find his place on a deep and talented Boston Celtics team.
At 6-7, Boston Celtics rookie Grant Williams is considered small for a power forward. Many NBA teams are scared to draft players that fall into the category of undersized power forward, but Draymond Green has showed that these players have value.
I do not believe Williams will steal the show in his first few years in Boston, but he will have a nice role that will certainly contribute to the team’s success.
Boston’s front-court has a lot of questions, which could lead to more opportunity for Williams. Enes Kanter is the only big man that fans can feel confident about heading into the season.
The Celtics will spend a good portion of the season figuring out what combination of big men works best. Williams definitely will not start, but he will be one of the first options off the bench at power forward.
I expect Boston to start Jayson Tatum or Gordon Hayward at power forward, but both of them like to play out on the wing. Williams is a relatively similar player to Semi Ojeleye so those two will likely be competing for minutes.
Williams and Ojeleye are extremely similar in terms of their physical makeup. They are listed at the same height and nearly the same weight, and neither of them are the most talented in terms of natural ability.
At the beginning of the season, I expect Williams and Ojeleye to get a similar amount of time. However, Williams has a higher upside because he is slightly more polished offensively. I would not be surprised to see Williams overtake Ojeleye as the season progresses.
To take his game to the next level, Williams must build a more consistent jump shot and even extend his range to behind the arc. The NBA is loaded with big men who can shoot the 3, and if you are a one-dimensional player you will most likely get lost in the shuffle.
Williams must compensate for being an undersized power forward with his athleticism. Since he is not going to finish above the trees, he must figure out a way to get around them. This will require working on his handle and using pump fakes to get defenders in the air.
Overall, the Celtics have another hard-nosed and gritty player in Williams. He is a guy that will mix it up down low and grab a ton of rebounds. Williams will be a productive member of this Boston team and he will find a nice role as the season moves along.