The Dallas Mavericks will host the Boston Celtics on Monday night. It projects to be a competitive affair, as Dallas looks to make a statement against the best team in the NBA. The game also represents an opportunity for Grant Williams to play against his former team.
Williams played in Boston from the 2019-20 season through the 2022-23 campaign. He joined the Mavs this past offseason and is currently averaging 8.2 points and 3.5 rebounds per game. On Sunday at practice, Williams was asked to give a Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown scouting report ahead of Monday's game.
Williams gets real on Tatum, Brown
“JT, as much as you want to give the scouting report from last season, he's worked on his game so much this year that he's putting the ball in the basket at a high rate. JB has done a phenomenal job, especially over these past 10 games, of really being aggressive and knocking down shots, tough looks… They do a great job of playing with pace now… If I gave you a scouting report, you know, play hard.”
Williams played a big role in Boston's success during his time with the team. Tatum and Brown obviously led the charge, but Williams emerged as an important role player. He works hard on both ends of the floor and understands what it takes to win.
What Williams learned from Celtics
Williams is now looking to help the Mavericks find success. He learned a lot during his time with Boston, however. Williams was asked about his primary takeaways from the Celtics.
“Feel like they taught many different things,” Williams said. “How to win, I learned professionalism from the players… It's not gonna be all roses. I've gone through a season where we made the Eastern Conference Finals. Next season, we got swept. Year after that, we went to the NBA Finals and we lost. And then we went to the Conference Finals down 3-0 and had a chance to come back. No matter how talented you are, no matter the opportunity that's in front of you, you have to go out and grab it… I learned that a lot in Boston.”
The Celtics, as aforementioned, have been the best team in the league this season. The Mavericks are more than capable of taking care of business at home, but they will need role players such as Williams to step up and perform well against Boston.
Having both Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving available will certainly help matters. Dallas' superstars are nearly unstoppable when they are both on the court, but injuries have limited their time together this season.
Celtics-Mavericks clash will give Grant Williams a chance to catch up with old teammates
Winning is the top priority for the Mavs. Williams is also excited to catch up with his old teammates, though.
“It's going to be cool seeing all those guys, having four great years with them,” Williams added. “They're playing their tail off right now, so it should be a competitive game.”
“It was a blessing,” Williams said of his time in Boston. “Drafted to an organization that treated me with grace, treated me with class. There's a bunch of phenomenal people in that organization, not just the players but the coaching staff, even the new staff that are there and front office. Top to bottom. Thankful for the time that I had there in the four years. It will be great to be able to catch up.”
Tip-off for Monday's game is scheduled for 8:30 PM EST as the Mavericks look to earn a crucial victory against the Celtics.
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