CHARLOTTE — Jaylen Brown known as the hit intentional, for certain. Derrick White was shocked by it, saying the whole Celtics group was, too. Jayson Tatum didn’t converse post-game after receiving the blow after scoring 32 factors in 36 minutes on Friday. He jumped to his ft, exited the rising scrum and walked to the free throw line undeterred.
But Grant Williams, who spoke a number of instances in regards to the flagrant-2 foul he dedicated on Tatum within the fourth quarter after, referred to the play as an accident whereas he was making an attempt to make a play on the ball. He known as Tatum one in all his greatest pals, defined Brown’s agitated response as him merely defending his teammate and smiled predicting that they’d all be cool. Talking to NBC Sports activities Boston whereas exiting the world, although, he not less than half-joked about former teammates not becoming a member of him for a deliberate dinner at his home.
“We talked final evening, simply because I used to be going to ask them over to my home,” Williams mentioned at shootaround on Friday. “However I advised them I had a date evening with my lady. Let’s simply say that trumps them, however … I discuss to J.T. after the sport and stuff like that. I strive to not trouble them earlier than these video games, the identical approach I don’t assume they try to trouble me. After we play, we’ll discuss rather a lot. We would hang around tonight, simply because we’ve a back-to-back, it’s a singular scenario. They don’t keep the evening on Saturday, so after tonight’s sport, perhaps, after which Saturday, we’ll simply dap up and go our separate methods.”
The play put the Celtics in a tough place, needing to again up their teammate in opposition to a former one who grew to become an equally vital and annoying voice from 2019-2023. Tatum and Williams appeared shut regardless of Tatum rolling his eyes at Williams’ self-proclaimed Batman nickname. Brown notably deemed his head-butting with Jimmy Butler throughout the 2023 East Convention Finals pointless. Like Ime Udoka did earlier than him, Brown careworn that Williams generally is a useful contributor to a group when he’s locked into his slender but important function.
Eager to develop past that marked the start of the top of his time with Boston the earlier summer time. Williams and the Celtics, whereas motivated to re-sign Williams, couldn’t comply with a deal earlier than the rookie scale deadline, Boston reportedly providing a four-year contract price round $50 million. After an uneven season the place he tried too usually to create off the dribble and garnered a number of DNP-CDs from Joe Mazzulla throughout his first yr, Williams departed the Celtics for Dallas in a sign-and-trade price $54 million. The Mavericks traded him to the Hornets halfway via his first yr there, and finally reached the Finals in opposition to his former Boston group.
“I feel it’s a part of life,” Williams advised CLNS Media/CelticsBlog late final season. “You undergo issues and issues occur for a cause. Going again and taking a look at what I might or couldn’t management, you’ll be able to’t function that approach. You need to look towards the longer term and look to how one can both forestall issues from occurring the way in which they occurred once more, or come ready and even higher the subsequent time.”
Williams discovered a house in his native Charlotte, taking part in heart usually and capturing 37.3% from three underneath Steve Clifford earlier than Charles Lee grew to become head coach in June. Williams led a visit to Recreation 5 of the NBA Finals with Brandon Miller and Mark Williams, the place he popped into the post-game locker room celebration. Throughout and after the collection, he’s expressed happiness for his former teammates reaching the large stage, and Boston successful, regardless of his departure being a part of their tales.
Now, he’s capturing 45.8% from deep to start this season and drained a game-winning three on Opening Night time in opposition to Houston. His voice and strategy would possibly resonate extra on a youthful Charlotte group, although scenes of him on the ground complaining to officers — a typical fault when he performed in Boston — shouting at teammates and his arduous foul distinction in opposition to his persona off the ground. He offers reporters extra time than perhaps some other participant within the league, dedicates as many hours to group group efforts as anybody and is among the WNBA’s most vocal supporters, amongst his different admirable traits. His friends voted him as a NBPA vp.
One thing appeared to shift throughout the depth of the sport, to the purpose the place he didn’t absolutely notice what he did incorrect on Friday. White famous he’s too huge to be committing arduous fouls. And in that second, whether or not intentional or not, Williams discovered himself in a well-recognized territory: in bother for doing an excessive amount of.
“One thing that we’ll study and develop from,” Lee mentioned. “As a result of we’d like these guys on the court docket. I don’t need these guys to place themselves in positions the place they’re gonna damage themselves and their teammates … I feel a few of that zeal he performs with has helped us in lots of moments this yr…as we put together and follow and he brings an awesome power and a bounce and a juice…as a result of he has a lot ardour and he’s fearless…he takes on lots of totally different matchups. So I don’t need him to lose that. I simply need him to harness it in a approach that we will preserve him on the court docket.”
