After getting traded on the deadline day, Grant Williams made his debut for the Charlotte Hornets on Saturday. Even though Williams didn’t start the game, he had a crucial role in the win over the Memphis Grizzlies. Following his 15-point, 8-rebound performance in 32:22 minutes, the forward made some comments during the postgame conference that fans of the Dallas Mavericks have dissected.
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During the postgame conference, Grant Williams spoke about playing for the Charlotte Hornets for the first time. He also revealed being excited to play for a franchise where players cared to play for the team instead of the name “on the back”.
“It’s great to get a win for the city and play for the jersey; that’s across your chest, not on your back,” Williams said.
Williams’ comments came in merely a few days after being traded from the Dallas Mavericks, hence, fans of the Texas side believe that the 25-year-old is taking shots at his previous franchise. Several users believe that the 6ft 6” forward implies that the Mavs had a more individualistic approach, surrounding Luka Doncic, rather than having a team camaraderie.
While there were several angry fans of the Dallas Mavericks, there was also a set of users who tried being rational. These users thought that Grant was merely trying to set the tone and start on the right foot with his new franchise.
According to numerous reports, a huge reason the Mavericks traded Williams was that he “rubbed a lot of people the wrong way”. Because he could’ve taken this personally, there is a huge possibility that Grant Williams is trying to criticize the Dallas Mavericks. Irrespective of the snarky comments that Williams passed, the Mavericks discarded a player who could’ve been disrupting the team’s chemistry.
However, despite his bad reputation in Dallas, Williams could be exactly what the Charlotte Hornets need. The team has gotten far too used to losing games and needs a veteran presence that will hold all the young players accountable. Add his defense to the table as well, and it may not be long before the Hornets become a competent franchise.
Grant Williams preferred wearing Jayson Tatum’s shoes over Luka Doncic’s shoes
Apart from the fact that Grant Williams was reportedly a “poor locker-room personality fit”, he also enraged people in the franchise with the choice of his shoes. A day after the trade was completed, sources revealed that Williams switched from Luka Doncic’s shoes to his former Boston Celtics teammate Jayson Tatum’s shoes.
This reason surely sounds petty. However, ultimately the Mavericks seem to have made the correct decision. Trading away Williams, Seth Curry, Richaun Holmes, and other assets, Jason Kidd’s team acquired PJ Washington and Daniel Gafford.
The two new additions have already had an impactful performance in their debut for the Mavericks. During the Mavs’ 146-111 blowout win over the Oklahoma City Thunder, both stars came off the bench and stuffed the stat sheet. While Gafford recorded an electric 19-point and 9-rebound performance in merely 17 minutes, Washington put up an efficient 14-point outing.
The Mavericks have merely played one game since the trade. However, from their performance, it is justifiable to say that the Mavericks are looking deadlier than ever before. Currently sitting 8th in the West, it is only about time that the team rises in the standings.
