3 reasons why the Boston Celtics should extend Grant Williams

Reason No. 2 the Boston Celtics should extend Grant Williams: Improvement year to year

Prior to last season, the argument could’ve been made that Grant Williams shouldn’t have been part of the future for the Boston Celtics. He was coming off a disappointing sophomore year where he averaged just below five points and three rebounds in 63 regular season games. His growth over the course of the following year was encouraging for sure, and put that argument to bed.

Williams wasn’t an all-star or anything in his third season, but definitely showed why he should be a part of the team’s future. He made significant strides in terms of his 3-point shooting. Grant shot the 3-ball at a 41% clip, which was good enough to be amongst the league’s top 20 in the category. With Boston’s offense primarily running through Jayson Tatum, having Williams as a reliable shooter makes things run smoother. Defenders can’t overhelp off of the former 22nd overall pick because of how consistent he has become.

Shooting wasn’t the only category where Celtics fans watched Williams bring the heat last season. His defense really opened the eyes of many over the course of the 2022-23 campaign. Grant’s productivity on the defensive end, like most aspects of his game, took a hit during the season prior. He had put on extra weight to try and be effective as a small-ball center, which wound up hurting his mobility. Grant dropped the weight and showed that he could be a versatile defender.

Essentially, over the course of a single season, Williams has morphed into the ideal NBA 3-and-D role player.