Boston Celtics dud: Grant Williams
Grant Williams’ 2021-22 season will be remembered for his incredible growth as a role player and his evolution into an elite 3-point shooter. Unfortunately for Williams, those improvements have not seemed to carry over into this series.
He had another forgettable performance, scoring just two points. Williams failed to make a single basket in 28 minutes of play. In games past, The hybrid big was able to shrug off poor offensive games by making up for it with physical defense on Giannis Antetokounmpo but that just wasn’t the case tonight.
He picked up two quick fouls and as a result was never able to get comfortable on either side of the ball. Even when he was in the game, he was bullied by Giannis on seemingly every possession they were matched up. When the Greek Freak has gone off previously, Williams would make him work for every bucket and do his best to wear him down over 48 minutes.
It was a different story for him tonight. as he had no answer for the league’s best player. As a result, Al Horford and Marcus Smart picked up the main defensive responsibilities against Antetokounmpo while Williams struggled to find other ways to make an impact.
The Celtics forward also looked lost on offense at times and seems to be questioning his shot. Maybe with Rob Williams out, his inclusion in the starting lineup has thrown off his usual rhythm and is the key factor in his recent struggles. If he can get back to the spots he is comfortable in and doesn’t try to do too much, he should have no problem regaining his confidence.
Grant can still be a key contributor for the Cs in Game 7, but he was far from it tonight.