A year ago, Grant Williams created a bit of a stir by deciding not to play in summer league. Heading into his third year after a disappointing sophomore season, a recalibration under live game conditions seemed to make sense, but Williams disagreed. Instead, he spent his summer working out on his own, working with shooting coach Chris Matthews, and emerging as a sudden deep threat.
He’s not in quite the same position this summer, but his offseason work is once again one of Boston’s most important storylines heading into this upcoming season. On a team where internal improvement is going to be the likeliest driver of another championship run, Williams stands out as a pivotal cog in the machinery.
One reason is the team’s makeup, which currently has the Celtics a little short on wings and bigs — two spots Williams has been asked to play, but spots that need him to be different things.
“Whatever Ime (Udoka) needs me to play, I'm around,” Williams said during a stop in Boston last week. “If you need me to play on the perimeter, I'll play there. If you need me to play on the post, I'll play there. So wherever he needs me to be, that's where I'm going … I'm going to do exactly what my coach asks me to do.”
Last summer, Udoka challenged Williams to become a 40% 3-point shooter, and Williams responded by shooting 41.1% from deep during the regular season, good for 16th in the NBA. However, consistency has been a bit of an issue. He shot 40.4% in November, 50% in December, 37% in January, 48.7% in February, and 31% in March. He torched Brooklyn in the playoffs with 8-16 shooting in the opening round sweep and came out blistering hot against Milwaukee in his first two games before slipping into a 2-14 slump in Games 3 through 6. Then he went 7-18 in Game 7. He only hit three 3-pointers in the Finals.
The path to improvement is a bit shorter this summer because of that long Celtics playoff run. Like an Air Force pilot sling-shotting off an aircraft carrier, the return to work after the proper rest and decompression will happen quickly.
“There's a little bit less pickup basketball,” Williams said of his shortened summer workout plan. “You don't really have the time. You're still in the stages of ramping back into it because Finals end, you got to take those weeks off, then you want to ramp your work back up gradually. So that's a little bit different.”
Williams has been making the most of his offseason. His Instagram page suggests the frequent flyer miles have been piling up. Williams has been spotted all over the country and he’s now (at least as I write this) in London. It’s been quite the glow-up for Williams, who is making the most of his rising star.
“It's been amazing. Been traveling a lot, been able to work out a bunch,” he said. “So just trying my best to get back into basketball shape, be able to run into training camp well, and just be able to compete against the best of the best again.”
Players can travel and still work out. They find gyms everywhere they go, and they can get the necessary work in no matter where in the world they are. Still, the public perception of a player photographed at parties and international destinations can set them up for criticism if they're not ready to go right out of the gates.
And this is why this summer is comparable to last for Williams; because there are some squinty side-eyes coming his way as people try to confirm that he has, indeed, been diligent in his offseason studies. Williams struggled against some of the tougher playoff assignments, and his ability to defend smaller, quicker guards will continue to be a point of emphasis for him, especially if he’s lining himself up to be some sort of successor to Al Horford’s role.
There were times in the midst of Boston’s early season struggles when there were suggestions that Udoka swap Williams and Horford. If Williams continues to grow at a reasonable clip, he could be a stretch-big option to start next to Robert Williams, especially as Horford’s role diminishes with age.
It’s a progression that would be welcomed by the Celtics front office, too. The question for Brad Stevens, though, is whether the team is ready to commit to Grant Williams long-term as they plan for the eventual post-Horford era. Williams is extension-eligible, and Stevens has already shown a desire to avoid restricted free agency with a player he deems valuable. The Celtics could try to reach an extension deal with Williams now or dare him to prove himself all over again and then run the risk of matching a deal in restricted free agency next summer.
“It's not something that you're really worried or pressed about, because I feel like both sides are working to the better side of an agreement,” Williams said of his negotiations. “So, for me, it's just a matter of focusing on the basketball. All the extracurricular stuff will take care of itself. It's never really concerned me in the past, it won't concern me in the future. So I'm more so concerned about getting number 18.”
If the Celtics do, it’ll be, in part, because Williams found another level of growth this summer. He is a vital piece off the Boston bench, and his improvement and becoming a more consistent player could be a huge boost to Boston’s championship chances. But a regression would be, perhaps, even more impactful, because everyone is counting on him to at least be what he was last season.
Once again, Williams will come into camp off of a bit of a mysterious basketball summer, and all we can do is wait and see who he becomes next season.