It might not explain everything about his current slump, but Boston Celtics reserve forward Grant Williams has evidently been playing injured for some time now according to new reporting from Jared Weiss of the Athletic. Per Weiss, Since Feb. 12, “Williams has been struggling with a ligament strain in his shooting elbow exacerbated by inflammation in the surrounding muscle.”
“Williams had to stop lifting heavy weights for several weeks, though he returned to his normal routine before re-aggravating the injury in practice before Sunday’s double-overtime loss to the Knicks in which he played 45 minutes,” the Athletic NBA insider relates.
The Charlotte native “has experienced discomfort turning or grabbing with his right hand” since then, according to Weiss’ sources.
Celtics Lab 174: What’s gone wrong with the Boston Celtics lately, and how they can fix it with Chris Forsberg https://t.co/eXPH8Ebpz1
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) March 8, 2023
To what extent it has affected his play on both ends of the court is not clear, but it has opened up playing time for other frontcourt players to try and help fill his production deficit while dealing with the injury.
How Williams will find the floor time to work through his issues as his team works through broader playing concerns of their own remains unclear, but it will likely be an uphill battle for both as they try to find the footing present earlier in the season.
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