Draymond Green calls out Grant Williams after scuffle in San Francisco

Draymond Green is certainly no stranger to scuffles and scraps that happen on a basketball court. The veteran defensive maestro of the Golden State Warriors has been a habitual line stepper for his entire career, often to the benefit of his team, but occasionally to their detriment.

Friday night in the final seconds a little fracas broke out on the court when Lester Quinones made a basket after the Hornets had called off the dogs. Miles Bridges took exception and then Grant Williams came racing in to get in the face of Quinones. 

The two were held back and (quite a few) words were exchanged, but nothing more from there. Both players were ejected and the final 10 seconds ticked away uneventfully to close the book on a 97-84 Warriors win.

But after the game, Draymond Green, who was only a bystander on the bench during the scuffle, had a good deal to say.

There’s quite a bit to unpack from that soundbite. First of all, this is who Grant Williams has always been as a player. At least on the court, he is a tough guy, an enforcer, and a physical presence.

Williams has always been the first guy to defend his teammates and to throw himself in the middle of any altercation - for better or worse. The fact that he’s a nice guy off the court has no bearing on who he is as a player and how he conducts himself on the court.

The Hornets needed a personality like Grant’s, and that’s why he has fit so well in his short time with the team. The team needs a guy who will run to defend his teammates and jump into the fray. That’s Grant Williams, and there’s nothing fake about it. You’d think if anyone would understand this it would be Draymond.

As for the comments about talking too much, that also seems overblown and out of line from Green. Williams played an important role for the Celtics, but the team got expensive and deep. Williams was essentially a cap casualty; the team wanted him back but Grant (understandably) wanted more money and a bigger role than they could offer.

As for the situation in Dallas, we obviously don’t have all the details and it didn’t last long or end well, but trading Grant after half a season feels like more of an indictment on the Mavericks and their culture than it does on the player.

I’m not sure what exactly got Green so upset that made him go on a 3+ minute rant about Williams. Maybe he sees him encroaching on his corner? Maybe he just had FOMO from not being involved in the scuffle and had to insert himself somehow? It’s hard to pinpoint it. 

But yes, we will be sure to “pray for Grant Williams”. We can all pray that he stays in Charlotte and continues to be a defensive anchor, bringing energy, effort, and attitude to the team. We can pray that we can keep relying on Williams to have his teammates’ backs no matter what, and to keep being a physical and emotional leader, something the Hornets have lacked for a long time.