Bad teammate? Jayson Tatum stands strong for Grant Williams: ‘He’s a brother for life’

Grant Williams interrupted his typical pregame routine to make a beeline — straight for the Boston Celtics’ side of the court.

The Charlotte Hornets forward certainly had a few recognizable faces to catch up with, given this was his first outing against his old team since February’s NBA trade deadline deal brought Williams here from Dallas. Most of Williams’ time was reserved for one person in particular, though: Celtics star Jayson Tatum.

It was no different after the final buzzer sounded in the Hornets’ 118-104 loss to Boston at Spectrum Center on Monday night, when the two met near half-court, sharing a lengthy embrace following a long discussion.

Clearly, Williams couldn’t pass up the opportunity to chat it up with the Duke product, probably thanking him face-to-face for having his back and dispelling the notion he’s not a good teammate.

That chatter hit a crescendo last month following inflammatory comments by Celtics play-by-play commentator Mike Gorman, when he described Williams as a bad locker room guy with Boston and Dallas, sparking chatter about how he also caused issues with Mavericks star Luka Dončić. Tatum came to Williams’ defense then, and it’s obvious he has an affinity for the 25-year-old. The two still share a strong bond, making Monday’s outings just a tad different.

“It was good,” Tatum said. “He’s a brother for life, so it’s always good to see him, good to compete with him. Just having fun out there, competing against each other.”

Williams appreciates having someone with Tatum ‘s stature in his corner.

“Yeah, that’s always going to be my brother, man,” said Williams, who posted 23 points and seven rebounds. “He’s family. All the guys on that team. We had tremendous years together. Whether it’s Sam (Hauser) going to his wedding last summer, whether it’s Payton (Pritchard), who’s getting married here soon, J.T. J.B. (Jaylen Brown), Luke Kornet, actually one of the best guys in the league, one of the best teammates I’ve ever had. Al (Horford) being my vet.

“It’s definitely nostalgic seeing those guys and it’s also fun competing against them.”

Of course, Williams made sure to let Tatum know all about it during their individual battles. A little trash talk between the two was in the cards, when they guarded each other, injecting some spice into an otherwise mundane late-season matchup featuring a pair of teams going in the opposite direction.

“Grant always has got some – – – – to say,” Tatum said. “But as I was just saying, that’s my brother for life. It’s cool. I don’t talk trash at all, but if it’s somebody I’m close with, that I know, like today with Grant, I like to have fun out there. So, it’s always good to see him, competing against him. So, we just had some fun out there.”

Lots of it, apparently.

“Him and D-White (Derrick White) constantly called me a hack and I’m always like ya’ll are hacks and you just don’t get called for it because you are superstars,” Williams said. “ And I always tease them about that, because I think he was saying I was fouling K.P. (Kristaps Porzingis) or something like that. And I was just like, ‘Hey man, you fouled A.P. (Aleksej Pokuševski) and Brandon (Miller) on two possessions in a row, and they just didn’t call a foul on you because you are light-skinned and you think you are pretty.’ But that’s all it was.”

Getting moved to the Hornets, along with Seth Curry in exchange for PJ Washington and playing for the team he grew up rooting for has been a good thing for Williams. Entrenched in the Hornets’ reserve unit since his arrival, he’s come off the bench in all but five of the 24 games. But with Nick Richards sitting out due to right plantar fascia, adding another body to their injury-riddled roster, Williams got the starting nod at center, making the Hornets awfully small against Boston’s big front line led by Horford and Porzingis.

Versatility is just one of the things Williams has brought to the Hornets during his short tenure. He’s boosted them in other areas, too, and even his former coach picked up on it during film study preparing for Boston’s date with the Hornets.

“I’ve seen just his playmaking,” Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla said. ”He’s really good against the switch, creates some indecision for you on whether you should switch or not switch with his ability to go fake and his screen angles.

“And then they are running some off-ball stuff to where he facilitates at the elbow for (Miles) Bridges. And I think that’s one of the biggest keys versus him, is really have communication versus the coverage so he doesn’t take advantage of it.”

Praise for Williams comes from all directions, which doesn’t fall in line with the premise that he’s supposedly bad for team chemistry. His value behind the scenes hasn’t gone unnoticed, particularly from the man roaming the Hornets’ sidelines.

“He’s great,” coach Steve Clifford said. “He’s very verbal and very upbeat. He’s a terrific competitor, which to me is the No. 1 thing you look for. So, you never have to worry about his effort. He’s always on top of the game plan. He plays a very physical, intelligent game. With us, because it’s a different role than he’s had in Boston or in Dallas, you’re getting to see he has a playmaking aspect of his game that just, again, because of what we need him to do, he gets a chance to do well.”

And provide a boost in areas of need.

“So much of defense just starts with talking, and he’s good at it,” Clifford said. “I think the biggest thing he’s brought for us is the physicality part. He’s getting a chance here to play more as a playmaker, which he’s done a good job with. It’s a good fit and it’s a good opportunity for him, too.

“It’s a little different with our team. He’s not out there with Tatum and Brown or he’s not out there with Dončić and Kyrie (Irving). So, it’s different.”

And a role Williams is eager to run with. He has three years and $40.8 million remaining on the deal he inked last summer, likely tying him with the Hornets for the immediate future. Barring something unexpected, he should be a part of the Hornets moving forward, providing him with the chance to help turn the franchise around and finally send it in the right direction.

Incorporating lessons learned in Boston could eventually greatly benefit the Hornets.

“When you are on the team, you don’t realize how good they are,” Williams said. “But when you go against them, you realize what it was like to get to that level, to be winning at that rate every single night. Because we had a decent game. It’s not like we played terrible on the offensive end.

“But we’ve got to do a better job of honing in on the defensive side of the basketball, too, and it shows we have a ways to go. But I’m excited about this team, and when we get all our guys and a full deck to play against them next year.”