Boston Celtics: Is it time to move on from Grant Williams?

With the 22nd pick in the 2019 NBA draft, Danny Ainge and the Boston Celtics utilized their second first-round pick on Tennessee’s star power forward, Grant Williams. After losing Marcus Morris, Al Horford, and Aron Baynes, the Celtics needed some support in the frontcourt.

Unfortunately, they couldn’t sign any veterans to help out since Ainge maxed out Kemba Walker, so they decided to round out their roster through the draft. Ainge selected Williams to fill Bayne’s role. He would come off the bench as a small-ball five or switchable four that could stretch the floor and make simple reads. He was not supposed to be a high-level contributor and was more likely to fall out of the rotation than be its eighth man.

Then came the 2019-20 season.

Williams’ rookie campaign got off to a rough start, missing 25 of his first 3-point attempts and getting ridiculed for doing so. Luckily for the team and Williams, this cold stretch did not last. He finished the season shooting 34%, showing that his shooting woes stemmed from his confidence, not his ability or lack thereof.

On top of his shooting, Williams impressed the fans and Brad Stevens with his passing and offensive rebounding. He made quick decisions and had a soft enough touch to hit cutters out of the post or at the top of the key.

Williams was also the best defender off Boston’s bench and had an unprecedented amount of success as a small-ball 5. He struggled to switch onto faster guards, but he had great success against slower wings and more undersized centers.

Again, his instincts were evident; he was very aware and active on the defensive end, which helped the Boston Celtics a lot, seeing as they did not have another center that could play defense with Robert Williams out for the season.

Then came the 2020-21 NBA season.

Fast forward to the playoffs after a three-month hiatus which Williams spent the better part of with Kemba Walker. In just 10 minutes per game, Williams shot 58.8% from the 3-point line (leading the playoffs) and made two massive plays in game seven against the Toronto Raptors to help the Boston Celtics advance to the Conference finals.

His instincts were once again on full display, playing outstanding every time his number was called; whether it was in garbage time or when the series was on the line, it did not matter. His performance in the playoffs led many to believe Grant was the Boston Celtics’ backup 4 and small-ball 5 of the future.

Grant Williams’ shortcomings in this season have been overblown, and multiple factors contributed to his struggles. But, that said, he sucked. Williams was highly indecisive with the ball on offense, frequently making ill-advised passes or taking horrible shots early in the shot clock.

Those instincts that earned him critical playoff minutes seemingly diminished entirely, and his awareness was even worse. On defense, he was a foul machine no matter who he was guarding. He had no discipline and struggled to see the next play coming.

However, as I said, not all of Williams’ shortcomings were his doing. For one, Ainge signing Thompson changed Williams’ role on the team. His small ball five minutes were gone, and he had to play the four on the perimeter instead of as a help-side defender.

The change in the role led to him getting hunted by faster creators and ultimately diminishing his defensive value. Thus, Ainge should never have signed Tristan Thompson, not only because he was a bad fit for the roster, but he also hindered Williams’ development and production.

Secondly, Williams’ role was not only changed but increased. He was more involved on both ends of the floor despite not being playable on either end. Boston was using him as a spot-up, even movement shooter at times when he really should have been running pick and pops. Stevens used him as a facilitator on the post for more possessions than he could handle.

Williams was guarding All-Star caliber wings and guards on defense, a group of players Williams could not defend. Some of this falls on Brad Stevens, but Ainge did not give him the players to fill those roles, so he forced to use guys like Williams, Romeo Langford, or Jeff Teague to fill them.

Inherently, Grant Williams improved. As crazy as that sounds, Williams enhanced in the areas that he could control. His shooting was better, and when Williams played at the 5, he was terrific. Unfortunately, his poor decision-making was a product of his role; he did not get dumber over the off-season.

All this to say, I am not out on Grant Williams. With Al Horford and Robert Williams, Grant William’s minutes will be reduced and his role as a small-ball five the same. However, it is better than having to rely on Williams and putting him in positions in which he cannot succeed. When Robert Williams or Horford needs to take a game off, Grant Williams can slide right in and cover for that game.

That’s it, though. No more guarding Steph Curry one game and Kyrie Irving the next. No more five three-point attempt games and no more ball-handling possessions. Grant Williams will have to revert to his rookie role, just with his improved shooting and defense.

Ime Udoka will have to enforce this role on Williams, and it will be up to Williams to execute. If he can’t do so, he will be a piece the Boston Celtics should move at the deadline, but if Williams does, he should not be shipped off, given his low salary and fit on the roster.