Grant Williams will have more opportunities with the lowly Charlotte Hornets than he did with the Dallas Mavericks this season.
Williams’ time with the Mavericks ended abruptly, as Dallas sent the ex-Celtics forward to the Hornets at last week’s NBA trade deadline after signing him to a four-year, $53.3 million contract this offseason.
Williams made his Hornets debut on Saturday, scoring 15 points on 5-of-11 shooting and eight rebounds in 32 minutes off the bench.
He already appears to be enjoying his time with the Hornets far more than he did with the Mavericks, and the outspoken Williams appeared to take a veiled jab at what he saw as his previous team’s selfish actions following his first game in Charlotte.
“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 told reporters, according to MassLive’s Brian Robb. “Everybody touched the ball, we trusted one another, a team that never played, practiced together, every single person seemed like they had each other’s back.”
Williams never truly found his footing with the Mavericks, bouncing back and forth between starting and bench roles. He started 33 of 47 games with the Mavericks, averaging 8.1 points and 3.6 rebounds per game.
Williams isn’t one to back down from a dispute, so the Hornets’ meeting with the Mavericks on April 9 should be interesting. Williams will face the Celtics twice more before the regular season finishes.
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Heat’s Terry Rozier averted significant injury versus the Celtics.
Terry Rozier’s terrifying fall against the Boston Celtics on Sunday thankfully appeared worse than it was.
Shams Charania of The Athletic claimed on Monday that the Miami Heat guard avoided a catastrophic knee injury during Sunday’s game. Rozier’s MRI indicated a sprained knee, and he will be checked on a weekly basis.
The 29-year-old gave the Heat a huge fright in the third quarter of Sunday’s 110-106 loss to Boston when he fell awkwardly after getting fouled on an inside shot. Rozier’s right leg twisted beneath him, and he grasped his knee in pain. Rozier had to be helped into the Heat locker room and was unable to shoot his subsequent free throws, rendering him ineligible to return to the game.
Rozier appeared to indicate his well-being by posting an image of Hugh Jackman as Wolverine to his Instagram story on Monday.
Rozier, a former first-round draft pick, was Miami’s major acquisition prior to the trade deadline. He has battled to find his footing with the Heat, averaging 12.6 points per game on a mediocre 35.9 percent from the floor, but he is gradually becoming more comfortable with the scheme.
Rozier does not appear to be returning to Miami until after the All-Star break, if ever. Overall, the news on his injury is about as good as the Heat could have hoped for.
