While it might still be the same NBA season in theory, for Boston Celtics rookie forward Grant Williams, it certainly doesn’t feel like it.
After a layoff of nearly four months since the initial outbreak of coronavirus in the league shuttered league activities, the Disney restart is in many ways at the very minimum exactly that — a restart.
And for a player who started his rookie season making headlines for the shots he didn’t make, a restart might just be what Williams needed.
To be fair, the Tennessee product has been by far the most valuable new addition to the team from the 2019 class of seven rookies brought on in the offseason this summer.
Celtics raving about versatile rookie Grant Williams’ play at center https://t.co/gi40bysMtK
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) October 26, 2019
His knack for being in the right spot on the floor at the right moment, of reading defenses and leading teammates on the other end of the court has catapulted him into a real role in the Celtics’ rotation.
On a team with designs to contend for a title at that.
“If you guys ask any of the guys on the team, I’m still a rookie,” related the Charlotte native in a recent conference call with the media.
“But for me, I just feel confident in my abilities now, more confident than I was at the end of the [hiatus], as well as prepared to not only play against the best athletes like I was before — before I was kind of nervous, I feel like, and during the [season] you kind of got more accustomed and realize you belong here.”
It sounds like — despite the good-natured ribbing the former Volunteer took from his teammates — the extended cold streak for Williams at the start of his inaugural campaign got into his a little, and took time to wash away.
Grant Williams talks protests, pandemic, returning to play https://t.co/Ui47qfUAbz via @thecelticswire #Celtics
— Jayson Ta Tomb (@M1ck1) June 12, 2020
“For me, it’s more so [being] more confident, more able to do a lot of better things on the court,” he added, so hopefully I just expand on my role and and help this team get to our goal.”
And with his teammates earnestly believing Banner 18 is realistically within reach in the Disney ‘bubble’ postseason, it’ll take a lot of work.
Though for the Celtics at least, good habits in the hiatus have put them (and their health) in a position to achieve it.
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