DALLAS — Grant Williams is onto a new team now after four seasons with the Celtics, suiting up for the Mavericks after getting his payday as part of a sign-and-trade. There were certainly some rocky moments during his time in Boston, but the big man developed into a rotation player after being picked in the 2019 draft.
At the end of his C’s tenure, there were times when Williams fell out of the rotation last season. It wasn’t often for extended periods, but there were moments where he didn’t play as much, which included the playoffs. Regardless of those decisions from C’s coach Joe Mazzulla, Williams had only positive things to say about his former head and assistant coach.
“Personally, he’s like a brother to me,” Williams said before the Celtics’ win over the Mavs. “I’ll always be, when I see him, here for him and his family, his wife, his kids, his sons. That’s never going to change. But professionally, things happen. Opinions differ. Sometimes things don’t go the way that you want, whether you spoke about it before or after.
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“It’s one of those things that you got to have respect for, the craft and the work that you put in. I’ve always be supportive because, like I said, families fight but you love them through the darkest because in the light, you’re definitely supportive of them. Even in the darkest moments, I feel like he had my back and I have his.”
Considering Williams is on a different team, he hasn’t been following the Celtics too closely this season. He said they’ve seemed to emphasize the defensive side of the ball, which is a positive. But otherwise, he’s been busy acclimating to his new team with the Mavs. He’s had an up-and-down season, but he’s looking to improve his play and get healthier for the rest of the season.
From afar, Williams’ remarks about his former team were all positive as he spoke about the league’s best squad.
“They just have a great system and staff over there,” Williams said. “I think they’re doing a good job of playing with pace, playing with movement. They have some of the same sets. But they’re talented enough to get there.”
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