“ I'm sure he'll be ready to embarrass us. » Jaylen Brown knows what to expect traveling to Dallas next night, where he will reunite with a former teammate, Grant Williams. The two parties meet again for the first time since the departure of the muscular winger to Texas.
A meeting awaited by the 25-year-old player, drafted by the Celtics in 2019 (22nd choice). “ It's going to be cool to see all these guys. I had a great four years with them and this organization “, qualifies the interior as smallwho believes he has learned what “ professionalism » in contact with Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and others.
Former teammates against whom he is preparing to battle directly in a particular context for him. Arriving in Dallas with the aim of taking control of the Mavs defense, Grant Williams lost his place in Jason Kidd's five at the end of last season.
“ The difficulties are not at all related to what the Mavs did. They were amazing at preparing me, getting me used to it and making me feel comfortable. For me, it's just about understanding the defensive system, understanding how to make an impact even if I'm not shooting like I was at the beginning of the year. », he agrees, thinking of these first weeks of competition, where he averaged 15 points (over seven matches).
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His skill levels have fallen since then. As a result, since mid-December, Williams has only exceeded the 10-point mark three times. Over the entire season, for another 8 points on average, he has only 41% success, including 37% at 3-points. Below his percentages in Boston his last two seasons.
“ You can't show up night and day and shoot 90% or 85% from 3-point range in practice without it translating. (in match). This is why I don't even worry about the offensive aspect. It's just about being that defender, being that guy that they asked me to become and be, and being really confident in that role. And find a way to lead by example even without speaking », he displays.
He does not want to mention his knee injury, which deprived him of a few matches in December, as an excuse. “ No matter the state of health, no matter what happens off the field, you have to approach each day as if it were your last. This is how I approach it. Whether I'm 100%, 60% or 50%, I will give everything I have to this team. […] It's not because the first part of the season didn't go as I wanted that the second part, even if I hope, will go as we want. I try to stay positive. »
| Grant Williams | Percentage | Rebounds | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | MJ | Min | Shots | 3pts | L.F. | Off | Def | Early | Pd | Party | Int | Bp | Ct | Pts |
| 2019-20 | BOS | 69 | 15 | 41.2 | 25.0 | 72.2 | 0.9 | 1.7 | 2.6 | 1.0 | 2.4 | 0.4 | 0.7 | 0.5 | 3.4 |
| 2020-21 | BOS | 63 | 18 | 43.7 | 37.2 | 58.8 | 0.8 | 2.1 | 2.8 | 1.0 | 2.6 | 0.5 | 0.9 | 0.4 | 4.7 |
| 2021-22 | BOS | 77 | 24 | 47.5 | 41.1 | 90.5 | 0.8 | 2.7 | 3.6 | 1.0 | 2.4 | 0.5 | 0.8 | 0.7 | 7.8 |
| 2022-23 | BOS | 79 | 26 | 45.4 | 39.5 | 77.0 | 1.1 | 3.5 | 4.6 | 1.7 | 2.4 | 0.5 | 1.0 | 0.4 | 8.1 |
| 2023-24 | DAL | 38 | 27 | 41.3 | 36.9 | 70.5 | 1.0 | 2.5 | 3.5 | 1.7 | 3.0 | 0.5 | 1.0 | 0.6 | 8.2 |
| Total | 326 | 22 | 44.5 | 37.7 | 76.5 | 0.9 | 2.6 | 3.5 | 1.3 | 2.5 | 0.5 | 0.9 | 0.5 | 6.4 | |
How to read the stats? MJ = matches played; Min = Minutes; Shots = Successful shots / Attempted shots; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; Off = offensive rebound; Def=defensive rebound; Tot = Total rebounds; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost balls; Ct: Against; Pts = Points.
