Mavericks' Grant Williams: Held scoreless against Houston
Rotowire
Williams posted zero points (0-5 FG, 0-3 3Pt), four rebounds and three assists across 18 minutes during Tuesday's 121-115 win over the Rockets.
Williams picked up four fouls for the third game in a row, but unlike his previous two matchups, he saw reduced minutes with Derrick Jones (15 points) providing a spark off the bench. Williams has been very quiet over his last four games, averaging 4.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.0 three-pointers in 26.1 minutes.
... See More... See Less
Mavericks' Grant Williams: Held scoreless in win
Rotowire
Williams racked up zero points (0-4 FG, 0-2 3Pt), two rebounds, one assist, two blocks and one steal over 21 minutes during Sunday's 136-124 victory over the Pelicans.
That's three duds in a row for Williams. During that span, Williams has averaged a mere 2.6 points on a combined 3-of-14 shooting from the field. The forward will attempt to bounce back against the Pelicans on Tuesday.
... See More... See Less
Mavericks' Grant Williams: Quality buckets in win
Rotowire
Williams chipped in 18 points (7-9 FG, 4-5 3Pt, 0-1 FT), four rebounds, three assists and one block in 31 minutes during Sunday's 124-118 win over Charlotte.
Williams was Dallas' third-leading scorer while co-leading the team in made threes. He's averaged 17.8 points over his last four games.
... See More... See Less
Mavericks' Grant Williams: Leading scorer in win
Rotowire
Williams recorded 25 points (7-10 FG, 7-9 3Pt, 4-6 FT), five rebounds, one assist and one steal over 30 minutes during Wednesday's 114-105 win over Chicago.
Williams has had an efficient start to his 2023-24 season and has shot at least 50 percent from the floor in three of four games. He and Tim Hardaway were the only two Mavs players to score 20-plus on a night when Luka Doncic struggled with his shot and Kyrie Irving (foot) was ruled out for the second straight game. Williams signed a four-year, $53 million contract as part of a sign-and-trade from the Celtics in the offseason, and his production will be needed on nights when Doncic and/or Irving are not playing or are struggling from the floor.
... See More... See Less
Mavericks' Grant Williams: Plays 35 minutes in win
Rotowire
Williams totaled 17 points (6-11 FG, 4-8 3Pt, 1-1 FT), six rebounds and one block across 35 minutes during Wednesday's 126-119 victory over the Spurs.
Williams joined the Mavericks as part of a sign-and-trade deal in July, and he had a prominent role during his team debut Wednesday. He made 79 appearances with the Celtics last year and averaged 8.1 points and 4.6 rebounds in 25.9 minutes per game, and it appears as though he'll have a chance to improve upon those results during the 2023-24 season.
... See More... See Less
Mavericks' Grant Williams: Starting in preseason opener
Rotowire
Head coach Jason Kidd confirmed over the weekend that Williams (hand) will start in the Mavericks' preseason opener Thursday versus the Timberwolves in Abu Dhabi, Grant Afseth of SI.com reports.
After coming over from Boston in a sign-and-trade deal in July, Williams will join star guards Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic on the top unit for the preseason opener, while rookies Olivier-Maxence Prosper and Dereck Lively round out the starting five. Though Irving and Doncic will dominate the usage whenever they're on the court, Williams could have an opportunity to step in as the Mavericks' No. 3 scoring option, especially if he's sharing the court with two defensive-minded rookies. Though Williams holds real-life value in the form of his perimeter shooting and ability to defend both forward spots, his lack of standout production in any category keeps his ceiling low in fantasy. The 24-year-old at least looks to have reported to camp at close to 100 percent health after undergoing surgery on his left hand in June.
... See More... See Less
Mavericks' Grant Williams: Dealt to Dallas
Rotowire
The Mavericks signed Williams (hand) to a four-year, $54 million sign-and-trade in a three-team deal with the Celtics and Spurs on Wednesday, Shams Charania of The Athletic reports.
In the trade, the Spurs will receive Reggie Bullock and an unprotected Mavericks pick swap in 2030, and the Celtics will receive multiple second-round picks. Williams underwent surgery on his left hand in June but is expected to be ready for training camp in the fall. The 24-year-old forward averaged 8.1 points, 4.6 rebounds and 1.7 assists in 25.9 minutes across 79 games in 2022-23, and he will likely compete for the starting power forward job in Dallas.
... See More... See Less
Celtics' Grant Williams: Undergoes offseason surgery
Rotowire
Williams underwent successful surgery on his left hand Friday and is expected to be fully recovered by training camp in the fall, Adrian Wojnarowski of NBA.com reports.
Williams suffered the hand injury in March but decided to play through the issue during the Celtics' postseason run, which ended in the Eastern Conference Finals. The surgery shouldn't impact his availability for next season, but it's unclear where he'll be playing during the 2023-24 campaign, as Williams, who's coming off a career-best season, is a restricted free agent this summer.
... See More... See Less
Celtics' Grant Williams: Makes impact from bench
Rotowire
Williams accumulated 14 points (4-7 FG, 4-6 3Pt, 2-2 FT), six rebounds, two assists, one block and one steal over 29 minutes during Tuesday's 116-99 victory over the Heat in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals.
After being a non-factor for most of the playoffs, Williams has been crucial piece for Boston on both sides of the ball lately. The Tennessee product's 14 points matched his best scoring total of the playoffs, and his six rebounds were also a playoff high.
... See More... See Less
Celtics' Grant Williams: Back in rotation Friday
Rotowire
Williams racked up 14 points (4-4 FG, 4-4 3Pt, 2-2 FT), two rebounds, two assists and one steal in 18 minutes during Friday's 130-122 loss to the Hawks in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals.
Williams entered the rotation for the first time in the playoffs, logging a productive 18 minutes off the bench. While it is unclear what his role might look like moving forward, it should be noted that his 14 points were the most he has scored in a game in over a month.
... See More... See Less
Celtics' Grant Williams: Starting Tuesday
Rotowire
Williams will join the first unit for Tuesday's game against the 76ers.
Williams will make his second start since Feb. 14 with Jaylen Brown (back) sidelined for the opening leg of a back-to-back set. In 22 starts this season, Williams has averaged 10.9 points, 5.5 rebounds and 2.1 assists over 33.7 minutes.
... See More... See Less
Celtics' Grant Williams: Scores 13 off bench
Rotowire
Williams accumulated 13 points (5-6 FG, 3-4 3PT), five rebounds, two assists and one block across 17 minutes in Friday's 122-114 victory over the Jazz.
Williams was efficient from the floor and made the most of his 17 minutes of action. He had gone three consecutive games without reaching double figures prior to Friday's contest. The backup big man ends his March with averages of 7.8 points, 4.4 rebounds, 1.1 assists, 0.2 steals, 0.5 blocks and 1.6 triples across 21.9 minutes in 14 games.
... See More... See Less
Celtics' Grant Williams: Officially available Thursday
Rotowire
Williams (illness) will suit up for Thursday's game versus the Bucks.
A report from slightly earlier suggested he would likely suit up, and the team didn't waste much time confirming that officially a handful of minutes later. Williams should claim his usual bench role for the Celtics, averaging 8.6 points, 4.6 rebounds and 1.3 assists over 24.0 minutes per game in his last seven showings.
... See More... See Less
Celtics' Grant Williams: Good to go Wednesday
Rotowire
Williams (illness) has been upgraded to available for Tuesday's matchup against the Wizards.
Williams will presumably garner his usual bench role while playing through an illness. Over his last seven appearances (one start), Williams has averaged 7.4 points and 4.0 rebounds in 21.4 minutes per game.
... See More... See Less
Celtics' Grant Williams: Questionable Tuesday
Rotowire
Williams is questionable for Tuesday's game against the Wizards due to an illness, Jared Weiss of The Athletic reports.
Williams has missed just three games this season, but with the rest of the team healthy, his potential absence could be taken in stride. If the forward sits, more minutes could be given to Sam Hauser and Malcolm Brogdon.
... See More... See Less
Celtics' Grant Williams: Moves to bench Tuesday
Rotowire
Williams will return to the bench for Tuesday's game against the Kings, according to Bobby Manning of the Boston Sports Journal.
Al Horford (back) and Marcus Smart (hip) are back in action for the Celtics, and Robert Williams (hamstring) is coming off the bench in his return. With Boston back to full strength, Grant Williams' minutes could take a big hit.
... See More... See Less
Celtics' Grant Williams: Excels in starting role
Rotowire
Williams closed with 23 points (8-16 FG, 7-12 3Pt), four rebounds and two assists across 31 minutes during Saturday's 118-117 loss to Utah.
Although he was denied a potential game-winner by Walker Kessler, Williams put together a strong performance in his 22nd start of the season. With Marcus Smart (hip), Al Horford (back) and Robert Williams (hamstring) sidelined, Williams provided much-needed size against the Jazz, who would have dominated the frontcourt without his insertion. Williams has averaged only 8.3 points and 4.7 rebounds this season, and Saturday's performance wasn't indicative of his regular results. Although he's often utilized when the Celtics need a bigger lineup, Williams' fantasy value is limited.
... See More... See Less
Celtics' Grant Williams: Starting for injured Smart
Rotowire
Williams will start Saturday's tilt against the Jazz, Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe reports.
With Marcus Smart (hip) sidelined, Williams draws his first start since Valentine's Day, as coach Joe Mazzulla is opting to go big. In 21 starts this season, Williams has averaged 10.3 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 33.9 minutes.
... See More... See Less
Celtics' Grant Williams: Sees 44 minutes of run in 2OT loss
Rotowire
Williams totaled nine points (2-7 FG, 1-5 3Pt, 4-4 FT), six rebounds, three assists and one block over 44 minutes during Sunday's 131-129 double-overtime loss to New York.
Grant Williams saw an increase in playing time due to the absence of Robert Williams (hamstring). The former had recently seen his playing time dip to only 17.6 minutes per game over his last six contests (which included one DNP-CD) before Sunday's 2OT thriller. Despite the extended run, Williams generated only modest stats from just seven field-goal attempts. Williams hasn't scored in double figures since his last start -- a Valentine's Day loss at Milwaukee.
... See More... See Less
Celtics' Grant Williams: Falls out of rotation
Rotowire
Williams (coach's decision) went unused off the bench in Wednesday's 117-113 win over the Cavaliers.
With Jaylen Brown (personal) returning from a one-game absence, Boston had all of its key players available for one of the few occasions all season. Due to Cleveland keeping the game competitive until the bitter end, all five of the Boston starters logged 30-plus-minutes, but it was still surprising that head coach Joe Mazzulla opted not to turn to Williams off the bench behind sixth man Derrick White (25 minutes) and seventh man Malcolm Brogdon (23 minutes). Instead, Mazzulla turned to Mike Muscala (11 minutes) and Sam Hauser (nine minutes) to round out a tight nine-man rotation, resulting in Williams failing to see the court for the first time since Oct. 28, when he sat out while serving a suspension. It's uncertain if Williams will regularly find himself outside of the rotation moving forward, but it's clear that his playing time will be suppressed now that the Celtics are back to full strength.
