• Grant Williams wants all the smoke with his new superstar teammates
• During Mavericks Media Day, Williams proclaimed himself, Tim Hardaway Jr., and Seth Curry as the best shooters on the Mavericks
• He reluctantly said Kyrie Irving was fourth-best and left Luka Doncic off
Grant Williams has taken some big shots at his Mavericks teammate Luka Doncic during media day. When he was asked who the best shooters on the Mavericks were, he named himself, Seth Curry, and Tim Hardaway Jr., leaving Luka off the list. He named Kyrie Irving in his top four but labeled Doncic ‘inconsistent’.
“Respectfully, it gotta between Seth Curry, Tim Hardaway Jr., myself, and those are the top 3. Even Kyrie. That the top 4. Luka claims he is, but Luka is so inconsistent, let him go.”
"Who's the best shooter on this team?"@Grant2Will: "Argument… Respectfully it's gotta be between @sdotcurry, @T_HardJR, myself, and @KyrieIrving… Honestly, if I'm going to be transparent it's Seth then me then Tim." pic.twitter.com/AxkzoAQqT5
— Nick Angstadt (@NickVanExit) September 30, 2023
Williams isn’t wrong. Last season, Curry had a three-point percentage of 40.5% on 1.5 makes per game, Hardaway had 38.5% with 3.0 makes per game, Irving had 37.9% on 3.1 makes per game, and Williams had 39.5% on 1.5 makes per game. Doncic had a higher volume of attempts, shooting the three at 34.2% efficiency with 2.8 makes per game.
Even if Doncic can’t shoot the most accurately, he gets his teammates wide-open threes through his gravity. Williams will get some great looks in the corner for Dallas this season, as the team could be one of the best offenses in the NBA.
Why Did Grant Williams Choose The Mavericks Over The Celtics?
Grant Williams was in a contending situation in Boston and left that to be sign-and-traded to the Mavericks. He signed a four-year, $53.3 million contract and explained why he wanted to get paid in Dallas instead of Boston or any other city.
“One of the reasons I chose Dallas is because of the culture and the opportunity to win. They were just a few pieces away from being a real threat this past season, and they were in need and looking to add someone like me who can do a lot of little things to impact winning. I want to make sure we go from being a bottom-tier defensive team to being one of the best in the league this upcoming year.”
Williams averaged 8.1 points and 4.6 rebounds for the Celtics last season in a limited role. However, everyone can see his potential to be a highly productive two-way forward, especially in the Mavericks system, where Williams can be relied upon as the primary defender and a floor-stretching option when Doncic and Irving draw defenders.
Kyrie Irving Knows This Is Luka Doncic’s Team
Kyrie Irving re-signed with the Mavericks in the summer after a much-debated free-agency period. A lack of offers kind of forced his hand, but Irving does look happy to be in Dallas. This is with the understanding that he’s the No. 2 on this team behind Doncic, according to Mark Cuban.
“I think Kyrie is mature to the point now where he knows it’s Luka’s team,” Cuban said during an interview with SiriusXM NBA Radio. “Luka knows this. He knows, and that’s what’s important, and he’s willing to play more of a shooting guard role. When Luka is out, we have a point guard who can score and create for other guys, they’re both players who make their teammates better, and we didn’t have that before.”
Irving averaged 27.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 6.0 assists with the Mavericks last season in 20 games. He signed a three-year, $120 million contract, hoping to finally find playoff success outside of playing alongside LeBron James, possibly turning the Mavericks alongside Doncic into a contender if their defensive woes are addressed.
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