Boston Celtics: Grant Williams deserves a spot in the rotation

Williams’ improvements with Boston Celtics are underappreciated

This is the area of Williams’ game that he very clearly improved upon this season. Although he caught fire in the 2019-20 playoffs, he was much more consistent throughout the course of the 2020-21 season.

Williams may not have jumped up a lot in terms of points and rebounds, but his efficiency was worlds better than his rookie season. He was nothing short of unreliable in his first year.

He shot 41.2% from the field and 25.0% from deep in his first season. Meanwhile, those numbers jumped up to 43.7% from the field and 37.2% from deep last year.

He became a far more reliable three-point shooter this past season, something the Celtics desperately need. With a bench full of young players, Williams stepped up and became a knockdown shooter at times.

He spent a lot of time playing with an extra center on the floor last year. This meant he was forced to adapt to a new role in the offense: one he had never played before.

At Tennessee, he leaned on his post-game, banging down low with opposing bigs. Meanwhile, due to his size, he is forced into more of a forward role in the NBA.

He spends a lot of time standing in the corner as opposed to waiting in the post. If he can learn to adapt to a new role, he would be the ideal rotation player next to Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.

So before the general public starts giving up on Grant Williams, just give it time. He showed that he can be reliable on both ends of the floor, he just has to put it all together next season.