Grant Williams Finally Opened Up About What Went Down When He Decided To Talk Shit To Jimmy Butler

Adam Glanzman. Getty Images.

Just when I thought I was making progress in getting over how the Celts fumbled away their chance to get back to the NBA Finals and avenge their 2022 Finals loss, the video below hit my timeline and I'm basically right back to where I started

Here's the thing about Game 2. After the Celts offense once again shit themselves down the stretch to fall into an 0-2 hole, there was a whole lot of talk about how Grant "poked the bear" by challenging Jimmy and that's why the Celts lost. I never really understood that angle. It would have been way more concerning if Grant simply backed down and caved in my opinion. While I had no problem with Grant talking his shit in real time because he had helped extend the lead, I remember feeling at the moment that the Celts were definitely playing with fire. I always felt that the issue wasn't so much that Grant poked the bear, it was more the fact that he couldn't generate stops

So while he was backing up his shit talking by being effective offensively, the exact opposite happened on the other end. I actually agree with Grant that the bigger issue in the close of that game wasn't that he got in Butler's face, it was the fact that the team as a whole went 2-10 with 3 TOs over the final 6:35. Grant was 2-4, the rest?

Jayson Tatum: 0-2 (0-2) with 1 TO

Jaylen Brown: 0-3 (0-2) with 1 TO

Marcus Smart: 0-1 (0-1) with 1 TO

That, was why they lost Game 2. When you go 20/0% with your three main guys all coming up empty and the Heat go 63/0% with their best guy going 4-7, that's how you fall into that 0-2 hole and basically lose the series. I know the Celts lost Game 7, but this series changed after they didn't win either of their first two games at home. 

The one area I do have to disagree with is when Grant said he doesn't talk shit because he's too nerdy. That's not exactly true. How could we forget

It's more, every time Grant would talk shit, something devastating immediately followed. 

When it comes to that Butler situation, now with Smart and Grant gone someone is going to have to step up and have the balls to compete against the Jimmy Butler's of the world. It's not Grant's fault the best players on the team went into witness protection over the final 6 minutes. If they hadn't, the Celts probably win Game 2 and nobody is clowning Grant for what he did.

Having said all that, it's not as if Grant had himself that good of a series against MIA. In fact, it was pretty bad. Things like this also kept happening

Defensively, Grant ranked in the 1st percentile (that's very bad) in the entire playoffs when it came to isolation defense. Guys were going at him time and time again only to find nothing but success. Offensively, in the final 3 games of the ECF Grant finished 2-11 (2-10) for a total of 10 points. My guess is his decline in production on both ends (especially defensively) played a large role in why the Celts didn't match his offer from the Mavs and instead flipped him for some picks. 

I do think he'll help the Mavs simply because as a spot up shooter, Grant is still nails. He's turned himself into a legit 40% three point shooter and playing with Luka and Kyrie is going to get him all sorts of easy looks. They're also getting someone that clearly isn't afraid to compete which that roster needs.