Hardwood Houdini
Fansided

NBA Playoffs: 3 X-Factor Celtics that could surprise us, 2 that could fall flat

By John Canady

With the playoffs nearing, the Boston Celtics look to redeem themselves -- and these 3 players could be an X-factor while these 2 players could fall flat Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports
With the playoffs nearing, the Boston Celtics look to redeem themselves -- and these 3 players could be an X-factor while these 2 players could fall flat Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
3 of 5
Next
Boston Celtics
Boston Celtics forward Grant Williams Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports /

Grant Williams

Grant Williams has been a talking point for the Celtics all season long. Following the C’s failure to get an extension done with the fourth-year man in the offseason, Williams was mentioned in trade rumors all the way up to the trade deadline. However, Brad Stevens elected to keep the Tennessee product on the roster.

The 24-year-old was a huge part of the Celtics run to the NBA Finals last year, and without him, who knows if the team would have made it that far? Despite the noise about him “regressing”, Williams has actually improved his game in nearly every category. Averaging 8.2 points per game, 4.7 rebounds per game, and 1.7 assists per game, the big man is still important to Boston’s bench. Williams is also shooting 45.9% from the floor and 40.2% from 3-point range, the third-highest three-point percentage on the team.

The six-foot-six forward rose to the occasion last season, and it wouldn’t be a shock to see him do it once again. Any Celtics fans who don’t think he can play a huge role in the rotation this season should watch Williams’ Game 7 performance against the Bucks less than a year ago. Perhaps his game-high seven 3-pointers will change their minds.

Home/Celtics News