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The Boston Celtics and Golden State Warriors will begin the 2022 NBA Finals Thursday at 9:00 p.m. ET in San Francisco. Golden State has homecourt advantage and is back in the Finals after a two-year playoff gap, while Boston is returning for the first time since 2010.
We’re looking at some of the key players on both sides in this series and how they’ll affect the matchup. Here’s a look at Celtics forward Grant Williams.
Grant Williams overview
Postseason stats: 10.1 ppg, 0.7 apg, 4.3 rpg, 42.1 FG%, 40.5 3P%, 82.6 FT%
Williams has contributed in many ways, doing a little bit of everything to make a decent impact in Boston’s rotation. His biggest step forward was adding the three-point shot, which gives him some upside over Boston’s other role players. Williams had a breakout showing in Game 7 against the Bucks but hasn’t gotten enough opportunities to replicate that showing.
Odds entering NBA Finals (via DraftKings Sportsbook)
Finals MVP: +30000
Scoring leader: N/A
Rebounding leader: N/A
Assists leader: N/A
3PM leader: +15000
How Grant Williams can win Finals MVP
As the odds suggest, it’s going to be hard for Williams to make a huge impact in this series. However, if his three-point shot falls often enough he can raise some eyebrows. The Warriors let the Mavericks chuck a lot of open threes and they just didn’t fall. Williams could see additional looks if Golden State maintains this approach and if they go down, that’ll help his cause for Finals MVP.