Tag Archives: Grant Williams

Overall Summer League Stats for Boston Celtics’ rookies

The Boston Celtics capped their Summer League performance with a disappointing first-round exit to eventual champs the Memphis Grizzlies. Even in light of that, there are plenty of positive takeaways here. The future of the Celtics looks bright and many fans are ready to bet on the Celtics. Enhance your betting sites by signing to new bookmakers. Here are some of the stats by notable Celtics’ rookies.

Carsen Edwards: 19.4 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 45.6% 3PT shooting, 1.0 SPG

Carsen Edwards continues to show his ability to score and put up big numbers. He was the Celtic’s highest scorer, and showed it by averaging 19 points a game. Edwards also showed excellent accuracy from deep, with 47% shooting percentage overall, and 45% from deep. He averaged one steal a game, but his defensive hustle left more impact than the stats show

Grant Williams: 13.0 PPG, 6.0 RPG, 3.8 APG, 47% Shooting

Grant Williams was the epitome of a team player. His well-rounded stats show his willingness to score less in order to help out in other places. With 13 points and six rebounds per game, Williams flashed all his tools in Summer League, and his stats show a guy ready to contribute in any way at the next level.

Tremont Waters: 11.2 PPG, 4.8 APG, 38% Shooting, 2.0 SPG

Tremont Waters had low expectations coming in, so his stats were a little surprising. He did shoot under 40% from the field, but that’s something that can be fixed. His passing was excellent, as evidenced by his five assists per game. He also flashed great anticipation and defensive prowess with two steals per game. While he was one of the lowest scorers, he was their best defensive prospect.

Via The Boston Herald. (AP Photo/John Locher)

Tacko Fall: 7.2 PPG, 4.6 RPG, 1.4 BPG, 77% Shooting

Tacko Fall, although not drafted, made enough of an impact to be mentioned here. He shot a ridiculous 77% from the field on his limited minutes, reflecting high efficiency. His 1.4 blocks per game highlight his ability to be an elite rim defender. At 7’6”, you’d like to see more point production. Overall, Fall was just one bright spot in a fun to watch group of Celtics rookies.

Boston Celtics Sign First Round Draft Picks

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First Round Picks Signed

The Boston Celtics signed their first-round draft picks from the 2019 NBA draft this week. Romeo Langford, the 14^th pick, and Grant Williams, the 22^nd pick, are now officially Celtics. Langford, a shooting guard/small forward from Indiana University, will make nearly $7.1 Million (M) guaranteed over his first two years. The Celtics have a player option for 2022-2023 and 2023-2024 worth $3.8M and $5.6M, respectively. Langford’s $3.5M salary in 2019-2020 will be approximately 120% of the rookie wage scale. The Celtics have a qualifying offer of $7.8M in 2023-2024 when Langford becomes a restricted free agent. That qualifying offer would constitute a $16.9M cap hit.

Williams, a power forward from the University of Tennessee, listed as a small forward on the Celtics roster, will make nearly $5M guaranteed over his first two years. The Celtics have a player option for 2022-2023 and 2023-2024 worth $2.6M and $4.3M, respectively. Just like Langford, Williams’ $2.4M salary in 2019-2020 will be approximately 120% of the rookie wage scale. The Celtics have a qualifying offer of $6.2M in 2023-2024 when Williams becomes a restricted free agent. That qualifying offer would constitute a $12.9M cap hit.

Grant Williams (40) of the Boston Celtics brings the ball up the court against Brandon Clarke (15) of the Memphis Grizzlies during the 2019 NBA Summer League at the Thomas & Mack Center on July 11, 2019 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Celtics defeated the Grizzlies 113-87. (Photo via Getty Images)

Other Notable Transactions

The Boston Celtics waived Guerschon Yabusele this week after picking up his $3.1M option last season. The word on the court was Yabusele’s development was not up to pace with the team’s desires. Boston signed Enes Kanter, Daniel Theis, Tacko Fall, and Vincent Poirier in addition to guaranteeing Semi Ojeyele’s contract this month, making Yabusele obsolete. Unfortunately, Yabusele’s $3.1M is dead money and counts against the Celtics 2019-2020 salary cap.

The Boston Celtics also signed rookie point guard Carsen Edwards to a three-year $4.5M contract. Edwards was the 33^rd pick in the 2019 NBA draft. Practically a first-round pick himself, Edwards shined in the NBA Summer League, becoming a fan favorite. The point guard position was once a source of panic for Celtics fans. Edwards becomes the Celtics fourth point guard and the third point guard signed this month (Brad Wannamaker ; Kemba Walker).

Kemba Walker brings more star power and a veteran point guard presence to the young core of Boston Celtics scorers.

Putting the Pieces Together

Not more than a month ago Celtics fans wondered about the direction of the team. After Kyrie Irving and Al Horford declined their lucrative player options things looked grim. The Celtics then landed another max contract player in Walker, for whatever that’s worth considering Hayward’s status, and things began to look up. The signing of Kanter provided a much-needed veteran inside presence after the departure of Horford. The signing of Tacko Fall provides the giant splash of potential we missed out on in the draft. The 7’7” center being on an Exhibit-10 contract seems apropos if not ironically insensitive.

The Boston Celtics went from a possible dynasty to a rebuilding project in a matter of months. Dreams of Kyrie Irving throwing it up to Anthony Davis turned to valid questions. Would the Celtics even be able to convince Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown to stay? Now Boston trots out a likely lineup of Walker, Hayward, Tatum, Theis and Kanter, with Marcus Smart and Brown coming off the bench. The Celtics now have depth at every position, albeit young depth. Who’s better equipped to deal with young players – these Celtics average 24.2 years old – than Brad Stevens and this revamped Celtics coaching staff? The last time Stevens had to make the best of a young team the Celtics were seven minutes from making the NBA Finals. The way things are lining up, Boston could be back there this coming season.

Why Celtics Fans Will Love Grant Williams

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As the Celtics are in the midst of their NBA Summer League play, there has been plenty of buzz surrounding their latest draft picks and undrafted signees. So far, the up and coming Celtics have thoroughly impressed with their play on the floor and their demeanor off of it. One player in particular has immediately stood out above the rest: Grant Williams.

Williams was the 22^nd pick in the 2019 draft after coming off back-to-back SEC Player of the Year accolades in the 2017-2018 and 2018-2019 seasons for the University of Tennessee Volunteers. In his three years at Tennessee, he averaged 15.7 points per game (PPG), 6.5 rebounds per game (RPG) and 2.1 assists per game (APG) over 104 games. He was also a consensus first team All-American following the 2018-2019 season. He also wrote an amazing scholarship essay while attending Tennessee.

The 6’7” power forward has picked up right where he left off, and has carried his impact over immediately to summer league play. He is averaging 11.0 PPG, 6.7 RPG, and 2.0 APG. While it’s clear that Williams has been impressive on the stat sheet, his influence on the game goes far beyond the numbers.

Defensive Awareness

Summer League play is far from a typical NBA environment, but Williams has quickly shown that he has a defensive awareness that could land him significant minutes in the Celtics rotation.

https://twitter.com/maxacarlin/status/1147623905366032384

As an undersized power forward, Williams has the grit and hustle mentality that it takes to compete with players that have a height advantage over him. As seen in the video above, he is not afraid to get tangled with larger bodies in the paint, and has the awareness to remain within his defensive rotations. His ability to defend against different positions and different size players has drawn some early comparisons to that of Marcus Smart.

Developing Offense

Williams’ long range shooting ability has been criticized as a weakness in his game. He shot only 29.1% from 3-point range in college. However, so far in Summer League play he has shown willingness to work on his outside game, while also developing his offensive approach overall.

GW👌 https://t.co/Hmo3wVCNY3
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) July 6, 2019

It’s clear that his mentality on the offensive end mimics that of his defensive approach. He is still a raw talent, but clearly working to refine parts of his game that he knows will need improvement to succeed in real NBA games.

Although his long-range game is a work in progress, his 51.6% field goal percentage (FGP) in college is nothing to balk at. His inside game and awareness will do nothing but help his outside game progress.

😤 https://t.co/W9Sn9Q36uV
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) July 9, 2019

Off-Court

Williams off-court story is just as intriguing as his on-court game. He chose to play for the University of Tennessee over attending both Yale and Harvard. His mother is a NASA engineer, which has stirred banter over his disagreement with a certain former Celtic’s “flat earth theory.” He has also considered himself as a “nerd” and “goofball” when asked about his personality and camaraderie with his new Celtics teammates.

For Celtics fans, Williams represents leadership for their new-age roster additions. His on-court game is predicated on hard-work and hustle. His off-court approach is humble, intelligent, and refreshingly playful. If there is ever a player that Celtics fans could and should get behind, it is Grant Williams.

Celtics Summer League Preview: What’s next?

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After an active and hectic first couple of days of NBA Free Agency the dust is starting to settle and we look forward to next season. But first, we have the NBA Summer League beginning on July 6th as they take on the Philadelphia 76ers. Much as been made of the Celtics moves to get younger this season, and the Summer League is no exception. Here’s a full preview of what to expect:

Point Guards: Carsen Edwards, Tremont Waters, Jon Elmore, Javonte Green

Credit: Thomas J. Russo-USA TODAY Sports

The name that jumps out at you here is Carsen Edwards. The ultimate ‘heat-check’, Edwards has a lot to prove after the Boston Celtics picked him in this year’s draft. Was last year a one-time thing? Can he sustain his pace and production over a season? We’ll get to see this upcoming weekend. As for the other guys, they have a lot to prove. Waters is Marcus Smart with less offense, and we’re not sure what Elmore and Green are capable of. We’ll see what they bring to the table this summer.

Wings: Romeo Langford(INJ), Aaron Harrison, Kendrick Ray, Max Straus

The interest of this group was diminished when the Celtics announced that Langford would sit out with a thumb injury. However, one other interesting prospect is Aaron Harrison. A former star SG at Kentucky, Harrison has had little success at the next level. This makes him a perfect guy to take a flyer on and see what he’s got. If he performs well, he could be a quality bench option for the C’s

Frontcourt: Robert Williams, Guerschon Yabusele, Grant Williams, Tacko Fall, Chinanau Onuaku

This may be the most interesting position group on the entire team. Robert Williams has high expectations this season at center, and his performance here could translate to big minutes come September. Yabusele has a chance to earn a promotion from G-League play with a strong showing. Grant Williams was a first-round pick of the Celtics this year, and is shaping up to be a fan-favorite. He can amplify those claims by showing that he’s become more well-rounded. Tacko Fall is a 7’6″ center. The Celtics need height at center. If he can play hard and defend well, the Celtics could have a secret weapon this season.

What to Watch For: Young guns, Raw talent

This group is interesting because they could be the Summer League champions or not be there at all. The 2019 draft class seem to be very close with one another, and overall this Summer League team appears to be friendly with each other. The chemistry this team shows will reflect upon what we can expect come September. If the young kids can refine that raw talent into basketball production, then the future is bright for the Boston Celtics.

Boston Celtics: Draft Reactions

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Draft Night

The 2019 NBA Draft was hosted by Brooklyn Thursday night. Perhaps fitting, the Nets were the team that helped the Boston Celtics get famously draft pick rich. Boston entered this draft with three first round picks (14^th, 20^th & 24^th) and a second round pick (51^st). Boston came away from the draft with the 14^th, 22^nd, 33^rd and 51^st picks. Justin Mantegani wrote an in-depth analysis of the Celtics draft for Boston Sports Extra. I will briefly gloss over Boston’s draft picks here for reference.

The Celtics picked guard/forward Romeo Langford from Indiana University with the 14^th pick. Langford has been described as both a shooting guard as well as a small forward. After a series of trades, the Celtics picked power forward Grant Williams from the University of Tennessee with the 22^nd pick, and point guard Carson Edwards from Purdue University with the 33^rd pick. Finally, the Celtics picked LSU Tremont Waters with their 51^st pick. The Celtics finished the night by signing DePaul guard Max Strus to a two-way player contract. It was also reported today Boston signed University of Central Florida center Tacko Fall to a contract with an Exhibit 10 clause.

The Boston Celtics took Romeo Langford of Indiana University with their first pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, the 14th overall pick. Langford is a special talent, but not necessarily what the Celtics needed.

Draft Reactions

Depending on the source, or your personal feelings about the direction of the team, the draft stirred mixed reactions. Many fans were confused by moves during the draft, such as certain trade swaps and trading Aron Baynes. Some approved gaining cap space, while some worried the acquired 2020 Milwaukee Bucks pick would be the worst pick in the 1^st round. Everyone is correct.

The Celtics did acquire more draft picks, but will they end up being valuable? Trading Baynes did free up $5.5 Million in cap space, but now Boston has one center on their roster: Robert Williams. The second-year player averaged 2.5 points per game and 2.5 rebounds in 8.8 minutes per game in 32 games.

Theis Celtics — Second-year center Robert Williams remains the only center on the Boston Celtics roster. (*Credit: Getty Images*)

What’s Next

The Boston Celtics salary cap possibilities depends on several variables. Suffice it to say they’ll have ~$32.3M in “practical” salary cap space according to Spotrac.com. Considering the roster Boston likely enters 2019-2020 with, including the four draft picks and additional contracts, have an average age of 22.3 years. In fact, Jayson Tatum is the same age as three of the Celtics 2019 picks and/or post-draft signings. You might call the Boston Celtics a youth movement.

Does this mean the Celtics are rebuilding again? It does seem odd to add three guards and a small forward to a roster with four established guards and small forwards. Boston added a power forward but subtracted an established center. Rumors abound regarding the possibilities of the Celtics signing Nikola Vucevic, but is that enough? Vucevic made $12.7M last season and will likely command over $20M going forward. Vucevic also has many suitors, which doesn’t help the Celtics leverage. Unless Boston plans to play small ball – really small ball – they have to do something. It started with a few solid draft picks, but then took an odd turn. Time to keep the faith, Celtics Nation.

Evaluating The Celtic’s 2019 draft haul

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The 2019 NBA Draft has come to a close, and now teams can reassess what they have before free agency starts. The Celtics participated in an assortment of trades and brought home an interesting pool of prospects and assets. Here we’ll evaluate the haul that the C’s brought home.

Prospects: Romeo Langford, SG; Grant Williams, PF; Carsen Edwards, PG/SG; Tremont Waters, PG Grade: B-

The Celtics draft translated from 14, 20, 22, and 51 into 14, 22, 33, 51. The talent brought in is an intriguing mix. Romeo Langford is not exactly what the Celtics needed. He’s a talented scorer and an excellent young wing, but the Celtics already have a bunch of those. Williams and Edwards are Brad Stevens-like players. Williams is a stretch 4 who like to bump-n’-grind in the paint. He also plays great defense. Carsen Edwards brings huge amounts of offensive production and is a hard-nosed player. Waters is a good passer, but didn’t make much sense after the Edwards pick. Any type of center, or any guy over 6’8″ would’ve made more sense. The Celtics also missed on trading up for a guard and grabbing a center like Brandon Clarke, which was desperately needed.

Assets: Milwaukee 2020 1st Round pick (Top-6 protected), $5.45M in cap space Grade: A

Despite what some might call some missteps in the draft, the Celtics made sure to get some assets as well. By giving Aron Baynes to Phoenix when trading the Ty Jerome pick, the Celtics pick up another $5.45 million in cap space for a stacked FA class. In that same trade, Danny Ainge acquired another future first-round pick to help build this young team. Creating close to $30M in cap space and starting to fill the chest of draft picks is genius. The Celtics got high value for next to nothing in return. With an uncertain future, the Celtics combined young, raw prospects with solid assets to continue to build for the future. Only time will tell what Danny Ainge and the Celtics can turn this haul into.