Boston Celtics star wings Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown may not be the team's vocal leaders — that title belongs to Marcus Smart and Al Horford — but they are the Celtics' two best players, and thus, their words carry weight in the locker room.
Tatum and Brown used their influence to demand a rotation shake-up from head coach Joe Mazzulla late in the regular season — specifically, they wanted forward Grant Williams back in the rotation, per a recent article from The Athletic's Jay King and Jared Weiss:
“The coaching staff believed in Hauser’s offensive production and felt that because opponents were going out of their way to target him and abandon their own offense, his ability to hold up decently in isolation made him impactful. Mazzulla also wanted to get Hauser more experience to prepare him for the playoffs, believing Williams would be ready to go if his number was called. But the team’s veterans believed Williams would be crucial in the playoffs, so Tatum and Brown met with Mazzulla in early March to implore him to put Williams back into the rotation, team sources told The Athletic.”
Grant Williams, 24, has played four years in the NBA, all as a member of the storied Boston Celtics franchise. He averaged 8.1 points, 4.6 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 0.5 steals, 0.4 blocks, 1.0 turnovers, and 2.4 personal fouls per game across 79 appearances this season (23 starts).
The former Tennessee star shot the ball with great accuracy from behind the three-point arc in the 2022-23 campaign — Williams' 39.5% three-point percentage was the second-highest of his pro career.
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