Williams' Play, Strong Messages Among Overlooked Keys To Celtics' Success This Season

The Charlotte native returns home having shown a willingness all season to do whatever he can to help the Celtics win, whether it's sending a message with his play or with a text.

Grant Williams knows he can’t score the ball like teammate Jayson Tatum. His dribble-drive game isn’t on par with Jaylen Brown. And he doesn’t come close to jumping out of the gym like Robert Williams III. 

But the 24-year-old Williams has figured out exactly what he has to do in order to be one of the more below-the-radar contributors to the Boston Celtics’ success this season which has had them atop the NBA standings record-wise for most of this season. 

“I feel like for me, do what it takes to win. what that entails, varies,” Williams told me recently. “But that’s the goal and focus at the end of the day.”

It could be as complex as making the right in-game read that leads to a defensive stop or a basket. Or it could be as simple as a text message to his teammates, reminding them of what has to be done in order to break out of a funk.