Heading into the 2021-22 season, Grant Williams was requested to vary his function. After spending his first two years within the league constructed to play the backup middle place, he’d should transition into being a full-time energy ahead. That meant trimming down and having to play a little bit faster.
“My rookie yr, I needed to achieve weight to play the 5. Then I by no means misplaced that weight. Now, I’ve misplaced 12-15 kilos. I’ve obtained one other 8-10 to lose to have the ability to play the 4 extra,” Williams said at 2021-22 Media Day. “I need to be like a ‘Child Al’.”
And after making these adjustments, Williams thrived. He loved a breakout season this previous yr, capturing 41.1% from three-point vary and switching onto a number of positions on the defensive facet of the ground. Williams was the proper versatile bench piece to steer Boston’s second unit.
However now, he could also be compelled to vary his function as soon as once more.
The Boston Celtics made some essential additions this summer time, including each Danilo Gallinari and Malcolm Brogdon to their second unit. In flip, their depth seems much more polished, however with each essential addition comes a subtraction. Boston despatched out Daniel Theis within the Brogdon commerce, leaving them and not using a true backup middle. As well as, in addition they dealt Aaron Nesmith, and whereas he didn’t play common minutes for Boston, the deal leaves them with none true backup wings.
With Marcus Good, Derrick White, Payton Pritchard, and Brogdon, Boston’s guard room seems set. Nonetheless, they might nonetheless use some assistance on the wing and on the backup middle place. And with no actual impactful free brokers left on the board, and the hesitance to overspend on an Eleventh-man on the roster, Williams may very well be left to fill within the gaps.
The 23-year-old’s aforementioned versatility might imply that Ime Udoka chooses to make the most of him in additional roles than final yr. He’s fast sufficient to spend a while on the wing but additionally sufficiently big to play up and guard huge males; he was integral in defending Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo within the playoffs. With no actual wing depth and a obvious gap on the backup middle place, having Williams on the roster provides the Celtics some much-needed wiggle room.
Final season, Williams spent 94% of his time on the energy ahead place. However with Gallinari coming into the combination and Boston’s holes on the backup middle and wing positions, that’s set to vary. With a view to adapt to his potential new tasks, nevertheless, Williams might want to concentrate on bettering in sure areas of his recreation.
Shifting off the ball
Williams was identified for one key side of his recreation final season – nook threes. Half of all of the threes he tried final yr got here from the nook, and he shot 46.9% on these makes an attempt. But when he needs to spend extra time on the wing, studying to maneuver off the ball will probably be important to his success.
Now, this doesn’t imply Williams will probably be anticipated to show into Duncan Robinson in a single offseason, however doing extra off the ball than sitting within the nook and ready for drive-and-kicks would open up each his and the Celtics’ offensive recreation. Whether or not this implies teammates ought to set screens for him, he must be setting extra screens, or just him getting extra snug capturing from the wing, his continued growth from behind the three-point line will probably be key.
Once more, shifting off the ball doesn’t should imply mimicking Robinson and JJ Redick. Even little changes like this one would assist Williams’ recreation.
As Pritchard drives into the paint, Williams’ tiny adjustment permits him to get large open for a 3 on the wing. Seth Curry rotated to assist on the drive, however by the point he obtained his bearings again, Williams had moved. This may increasingly not appear to be a lot, however contemplating most of Williams’ threes got here from him standing nonetheless within the nook, shifting like this extra typically will probably be key.
Clearly, in a super world, Williams would be capable of transfer much more off the ball than within the clip proven above. Having him come off screens and work off dribble hand-offs could be nice, however earlier than he will get to that time, he’ll should take child steps.
If defenses can account for Williams within the nook always, they don’t want to fret about him as a lot. They know the place he’ll be always. And whereas that labored for him as an influence ahead, if he’s going to be spending time on the wing, he’ll have to diversify his recreation, and little actions like this are the beginning of that.
Chopping
Whether or not he’s spending time on the wing, as the ability ahead, or taking part in small-ball middle, slicing with out the ball is probably going the most important addition he could make to his recreation.
As talked about, when Williams’ total offensive recreation consists of him sitting within the nook and ready for drive-and-kick alternatives, the protection doesn’t should suppose. Positive, they’ll get pulled in by the drive, however they’ll all the time know the place Williams is. But when he can be taught to seek out the precise spots to chop, it’ll create a complete new dynamic inside Boston’s offense.
Right here’s one (extraordinarily gradual) instance.
It could be a bit hyperbolic, however this may very well be the slowest reduce any skilled basketball participant has ever made. Molasses-like, even. Williams runs in step with White on the drive, giving him an additional possibility for a dump-off cross. Now, one might argue that this was intentional by Williams as a result of if he had reduce any sooner, Marvin Bagley would have been there to contest his shot on the rim, however regardless, it is a good begin. Seeing Williams have the wherewithal to go away the nook and discover a shot contained in the paint is unquestionably progress.
This a part of Williams’ recreation shouldn’t be too laborious to deliver out, as he performed within the submit a ton at Tennessee. He barely shot any threes in school, so working inside to get high quality seems was his main supply of scoring. It’s going to be a gradual course of, however studying to chop off the ball by watching the movie of men like Bruce Brown and Javonte Inexperienced might assist a bunch.
Driving closeouts
That is one thing Williams confirmed flashes of final season. Having the ability to drive off of closeouts will probably be one other key piece to his enchancment. With how good of a shooter he’s turn into, defenders will probably be fast to shut out. If Williams can drive the closeout and open up extra alternatives throughout the offense, that’d be wonderful.
Right here’s an instance of Williams doing simply that final season.
As quickly as LaMarcus Aldridge strikes in the direction of him to defend the three, Williams drives proper previous him for a straightforward layup. There have been occasions he was in a position to do that and make clear dump-off passes, too, however on this case, a layup was the consequence.
Now, the rationale it is a work in progress and never already an enormous a part of Williams’ recreation is the velocity with which he can drive closeouts. Aldridge might be the slowest defender Williams would ever should blow by, so seeing him get previous the Nets huge man is comparatively unsurprising. If Williams can begin driving previous sooner wings and extra athletic huge males, then he’ll be an issue on the drive.
Defending facilities
That is the a part of Williams’ recreation that he largely deserted when he slimmed down earlier than the beginning of final season. He performed the function of a small-ball middle throughout his rookie season, struggled to adapt to the ability ahead in his sophomore season, after which reduce the required weight to play the 4 final yr. However with no go-to backup middle on the roster (exterior of Kornet), Williams might find yourself taking part in the middle a bit.
Now, simply because he misplaced the burden doesn’t imply he’s fully ineffective in opposition to bigs. He could have trimmed down however he’s nonetheless one of many strongest gamers within the league. Williams is ready to follow bigs much more typically than some would possibly understand, and the proper instance of that’s Joel Embiid.
With Robert Williams out of the lineup on February 15, the Celtics had been greater than snug having Grant Williams spend ample time guarding Embiid. He guarded the Philadelphia 76ers huge man for two:44 of recreation time, holding him to at least one level on 0-of-2 capturing from the sphere.
Listed below are the 2 pictures Embiid managed to get off.
And if that’s not sufficient proof, Williams’ “Batman” nickname comes on account of him shutting down Nikola “The Joker” Jokic. On March 20, he held the Nuggets middle to 3-of-9 capturing from the sphere (and 2-of-8 from contained in the three-point line), utilizing his defensive IQ to decelerate the two-time MVP.
All of that is to say that Williams continues to be completely snug matching up with opposing facilities. But when the Celtics plan on taking part in him at that place extra subsequent season, then bulking again up whereas sustaining his quickness could be a wise offseason purpose (though doing each could sound like an enormous ask).
Conclusion
With how nicely he performed final season, Williams is undoubtedly going to be a key cog in Boston’s rotation. He’s the most effective pure shooter they’ve on the roster and certainly one of their most essential defensive items, too. And most significantly, he’s clearly earned the belief of Udoka.
The flexibility he brings to the desk will assist him match the mildew of no matter function Udoka decides to play him in, whether or not that’s spending extra time on the wing or being the workforce’s default third-string middle. He’ll be capable of do all of it for the Celtics.
Nonetheless, if he needs to excel in all of those areas, he has loads of work to do that offseason. Diversifying his offensive recreation, particularly, will probably be essential to his success, and making ready himself to protect extra bruisers down low could also be vital as nicely. However because the Celtics get prepped for one more deep playoff run, having him on the roster is a big profit.
