GM Tells Shocking Story, Says Celtics’ Grant Williams Offended Teams at NBA Draft

https://heavy.com/sports/boston-celtics/grant-williams-nba-draft-offended-teams/



GM Tells Shocking Story, Says Celtics’ Grant Williams Offended Teams at NBA Draft



By Jack Simone


Updated May 21, 2022 at 2:17am



Getty
Grant Williams of the Boston Celtics.



As the Boston Celtics have marched through the NBA Playoffs, multiple players have stepped up. Jayson Tatum has been a superstar, Al Horford had his shining moment in the Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Milwaukee Bucks, and Jaylen Brown has scored in bunches. But no one has made their mark quite as much as Grant Williams.


The 23-year-old forward made headlines with his 27-point performance in Game 7 against the Bucks, helping Boston clinch a spot in the Eastern Conference Finals. Williams has turned heads this postseason for his great two-way play, but just a few years ago, he was turning heads for other reasons.


Celtics Junkies
@Celtics_Junkies
Grant Williams outscored Giannis Antetokounmpo in a Game 7

RT to spread awareness


One NBA general manager told Steve Bulpett of Heavy.com that Williams’ approach during his NBA Draft interviews was to tell every team he talked to what was wrong with their roster.


“We all talked about it, but that kid wasn’t shy at all,” revealed the GM. “From what I can tell, every team that interviewed him, he told them what was wrong with their team and what they needed to do better.”


This plan led to a variety of reactions. While some teams appreciated his honesty, others were caught off guard and offended by his statements.

“Some people liked that he was that prepared, and some others were really put off by this kid pretty much telling them where they went wrong,” the GM said. “It was funny to hear the different opinions of him — not of his game, though there was some of that, but more of just how he came across.”

Williams’ hard work and improvements throughout the year have not gone unnoticed, and while some were hesitant to draft him, others have looked back and wished he fell further than pick 19.


Team Rep: Draft Hopefuls ‘Can Learn’ From Williams

Bulpett also spoke to someone at the 2022 NBA Draft Combine who wanted his team to select Williams in the 2019 NBA Draft. The anonymous representative said that Williams’ hard work should be admired and studied by those hoping to hear their name called in June this year.

“You have to love how he’s worked on his game, how he’s carved out a big role on a really good team,” said the rep. “Yeah, he was a star at Tennessee, but some people had trouble projecting how he’d do in this league. And he’s had his setbacks, but he’s kept working. Look at him in the playoffs, guarding Giannis and hitting big 3s. A lot of the kids here could learn from his example.”

While Williams may not be afraid to tell people how he feels, he also backs up his words with his play on the court. He’s a crucial part of Boston’s defense and provides them with great spacing on the offensive end.


Williams’ Amazing Jump in 2022

After a down year in 2021 that saw Williams struggle to keep his spot in Boston’s rotation, the young forward completely changed his game this season. Williams noted that he lost 12-15 pounds this offseason in order to play the four, and that plan has worked wonders.

As a full-time backup forward off the bench, Williams averaged 7.8 points and 3.6 rebounds. In addition, Williams finished 16th in the NBA in three-point shooting percentage. He shot 41.1% on 3.4 three-point attempts per game.

Taylor Snow
@taylorcsnow
Grant Williams is the only reserve in NBA history with a career playoff 3-point percentage of at least 50% (min. 50 attempts).

No one else is even close.

1. Grant Williams: 53.4%
2. Fred Hoiberg: 46.0%
3. Grayson Allen: 45.5%
4. Maxi Kleber: 44.9%
5. Channing Frye: 44.4%


Williams didn’t slow down in the postseason, either. In fact, his production has jumped. The 23-year-old is averaging 11.3 points and 4.1 rebounds while shooting 44.2% from the field and 43.1% from three-point land.

With Boston on the brink of an appearance in the NBA Finals, they will need Williams to continue his hot stretch of play. They are undefeated this postseason (4-0) when Williams makes more than half of his threes. So, while some teams may have been ‘put off’ by his remarks at the draft, the Celtics are extremely fortunate to have him.


Bob


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Bulpett does not say what his interview with the Celtics went like. It would be interesting to know if he took this approach with Danny Ainge. The kid is smart, there is not doubt about that, but, he is brash also. I love the way he has improved his game year after year, making a major jump this year. I have, at times, found him to be a bit overbearing, but that is just me. Obviously, his coach likes him or he would not be in the lineup.

Here is hoping he finds some of that brashness tomorrow night, as last night was a bomb for the bench