Grant Williams has proven himself as one of the most versatile and dependable players in the Boston Celtics. While his contributions are not eye-popping, the Celtics have used his varied skill-set to very good use. Williams being an undersized stretch big with a great defensive motor makes him extremely valuable to the Celtics.
Draymond Green is a player who gained Williams’ respect in the league by being an undersized big man with great versatility. Dray is someone that Williams will probably end up guarding during the NBA Finals series between Boston and Golden State.
Considering Williams is still just 23, he was asked about watching the rise of the Golden State dynasty in the mid-2010s when he was still a student at the University of Tennessee:
Grant Williams is a big Draymond guy pic.twitter.com/Ng1TnOJttr
— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) June 1, 2022
“I remember exactly where I was when LeBron blocked the shot, I remember where I was when the Warriors won it the first time. I was in college, so I remember watching the game. I was going for the Warriors then because I was a Draymond guy. My teammates were all going for ‘Bron, so when they beat them, I was talking trash for weeks. It’s kinda funny to be in this arena in the Chase Center and play against a team that is still together with the success they have had. At the same time, I am not a fan anymore. You’re just excited to compete against those guys and hopefully, create those memories for high school and college kids who can say they were in that moment when we trumped the super-team dynasty of the Warriors.”
Draymond is a former Defensive Player of the Year, so Williams has a long way to go in terms of perfecting his skills to be as effective as Draymond. The one advantage Grant has is his superior three-point shot, but he is not the floor general Draymond is.
His impact could be massive to the Celtics in this series, as Williams has shown that his spot in the Celtics rotation is unquestioned and he could probably have a bigger role.
