In 4 seasons with the Celtics, Grant Williams has turn out to be an integral piece of a championship-ready group. He’s emerged as a dependable 3-point shooter, a flexible defender and a core member of Boston’s second unit.
But in Wednesday’s win over the Cavaliers, his providers had been – surprisingly – unneeded.
Williams didn’t play a single second within the Celtics’ 117-113 victory over TD Garden. He by no means took his warmup shirt off, by no means checked in, however was a supportive teammate from the bench. Before Wednesday, Williams had performed in all 61 video games he was obtainable on this season. The solely sport he had missed was on Oct. 28, when he was serving a one-game suspension for bumping right into a referee.
So, why didn’t Williams play on Wednesday?
“Matchups,” Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla stated.
Instead, Williams was handed over on the second unit in favor of Sam Hauser and newcomer Mike Muscala, who performed 9 and 11 minutes, respectively. The 6-foot-6, 236-pound Williams is flexible sufficient to play a number of roles for the Celtics, however Mazzulla didn’t see the appropriate one for him on Wednesday.
“Just matchups on the offensive end, as far as spacing the floor and having rim protection,” Mazzulla stated. “And so when Mike was in, we were able to play a different defensive lineup. Didn’t want to switch these guys as much in that second unit. And so they played, because of their sub pattern, we went with a bigger (lineup), we were able to stay in 13 a little bit more and not switch that second unit, which is big for us.”
For Mazzulla, these are the tough choices the coach has to make on a nightly foundation when the Celtics are totally wholesome – which they’ve popping out of the All-Star break. Mazzulla’s rotations had been brief, as he went 9 deep on Wednesday however in the end used Hauser and Muscala little or no within the second half as he rode his starters plus Malcolm Brogdon and Derrick White to the victory.
For Williams, Wednesday might have been a humbling capsule to swallow. But his teammates are in his nook and giving him encouragement, realizing he stays a vital a part of their championship pursuit.
“For Grant, just keep his head,” Jaylen Brown stated. “Grant, he knows what he brings to this team and the type of player he is. He’s been able to carve value out in this league, so a couple games here and there based upon whatever the coaching staff thinks doesn’t mean any more or less. Grant has helped us win playoff games. Grant has helped us get to the Finals last year. So obviously, we’re going to need him. So keep his head, he’s gonna be aight. He’s a professional, so we just gotta keep moving forward.”
Sacrifice has been a theme this season inside a Celtics locker room that has put egos apart to prioritize the final word aim. Brogdon has embraced a sixth man position. Blake Griffin, as soon as a famous person within the NBA, has embodied the tradition to tackle a lowered position on the courtroom. This is uncharted territory for Williams, however nobody on this Celtics crew is exempt from some sacrifice.
“It’s a part of it,” Brown stated. “I mean, everybody is sacrificing to some extent at some points in the season. This is a moment of adversity a little bit for Grant and I know he is going to be able to respond well from it. He’s a good kid who adds value and a good guy in the locker room. We all are figuring out the moving pieces as we get ready for the playoffs and it’s a part of it, going on a journey right quick.”
Source: www.bostonherald.com