Analyst has mixed assessment on departed Boston Celtics FA: ‘Positives mixed with ineffectiveness’
Departed Boston Celtics free agent Grant Williams, who agreed to an offer sheet with the Dallas Mavericks and was sign-and-traded to the DFW to team up with Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic, had an up-and-down Cs tenure that had “positives mixed with ineffectiveness” according to MassLive’s Brian Robb.
“It was an up-and-down fourth season in Boston for Williams,” Robb prefaced before saying, “He had a strong start to the campaign, building off the 2021-22 campaign. But he fell out of Mazzulla’s rotation, and the playoff minutes were sporadic. There were some positives mixed in with ineffectiveness. But Williams got a nice payday from the Mavs, and he’ll look to make an impact there.”
By the conclusion of the 2023 postseason, it was obvious that Williams was no longer necessary for the Celtics front office given the price point that was coming his way this summer. In Dallas, Williams has the chance to be a glue guy in a top-heavy lineup.
Boston Celtics brain trust is high on Grant Williams amidst his exit
Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla gave Williams great praise, saying that he left the team better than the way he found it.
“Anytime you get a guy and you have someone who has been with you for three or four years, I think the No. 1 goal is to leave it better than you found it,” Mazzulla prefaced before saying, “I think Grant did a great job of that, and I’m excited for him to have an opportunity in Dallas to do what he does best. I wish him nothing but the best and I appreciate also what he said.”
Boston Celtics President of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens similarly had nothing but positive things to say about Williams’ tenure, going as far as saying that the Tennessee product will be “hard to lose.”
“Obviously, Grant had a good four years with us and did a lot of good things and obviously every decision we make right now you’ve got to have short and long-term in mind, but he’ll do well,” Stevens said of Williams at the Summer League in Las Vegas. “It’ll be a good opportunity for him and it gives us some flexibility here as we move forward. But he did a good job. He’s a hard guy to lose.”
Williams’ time to move on had arrived considering the C’s lack of future cap space and the lack of a role he’d have with Kristaps Porzingis now in tow, but his time in a Celtics uniform will always be valued around these parts.