Grant Williams Talks Hornets Debut
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00:00 >> Grant, congrats on the win and then making your Charlotte debut.
00:04 I know it was a crazy 48 hours coming in here to hometown, just overall,
00:08 what did tonight feel like for you personally and also on the court as well?
00:13 >> No, it was great.
00:14 You come to a team, I don't know what to expect.
00:16 Everyone was very welcoming.
00:18 It was a city that I grew up in.
00:20 It's great to get a win for the city and really playing for the jersey.
00:24 That's across your chest, not going on your back.
00:26 It's a part of the team that really wanted to win and it was super exciting.
00:31 The play style was fun.
00:32 Everybody touched the bar.
00:33 If I was able to move, cut, knock out the shots.
00:35 We trust one another.
00:36 A team that had never played with each other or practiced with one another.
00:39 Every single person seemed like they had each other's back.
00:42 So it was a special night.
00:44 My family was here to be able to support me.
00:46 I'm fortunate to be able to be in Charlotte, a city that I love and
00:50 I'm blessed to be here.
00:51 >> That was kind of a unique situation with kind of overall on the team and
00:55 one day and maybe some of the turnovers or
00:57 maybe that was the reason for some of the turnovers.
00:59 Once you guys all kind of got on the same page offensively,
01:02 what did you kind of feel the most about why things were going so well in that area?
01:05 >> Yeah, pushing the paint, kicking it out.
01:08 We have shooters on this team, fortunately.
01:11 We have guys like Seth, Davis, Brandon, Tom Tobias.
01:14 We have a team that can really make an impact on the opposite side of the basketball.
01:18 And some of it was just by playing fast, getting used to one another.
01:20 And that's gonna happen, especially these first one, two, three games that we're
01:24 gonna be with each other.
01:25 We're gonna have those lapses sometimes, but
01:28 now it's just a matter of making sure we build good habits.
01:31 And understanding how to play with one another.
01:33 Same way, I had to ask like, boss, do you want me to cut there?
01:37 He's like, yes.
01:38 And so learning those things because in other markets,
01:41 other situations, we have a total space.
01:42 So just trusting your teammates, communicating, and
01:45 having a level of maturity so we can impact it.
01:49 >> How much did you actually learn tonight from playing with all these guys and
01:52 their games and what their strengths and weaknesses are?
01:54 What they look like you said, how much can you actually learn in 24 hours?
01:57 >> Significantly more.
02:01 We learned a lot, especially in the off season.
02:02 I feel like we were able to play to our strengths a little bit.
02:06 I kind of played against some of the guys before, so I kind of knew what they liked.
02:09 Davis and guys like that, how they sprint on screens.
02:12 I had first time ever playing with Basa.
02:14 And Basa, he's phenomenal, getting off the ball,
02:17 making sure he makes the right play every time.
02:19 He just is a great point guard, great man.
02:22 I wanna give him credit because from going to situation at OKC,
02:25 he had a great opportunity last year where he performed against us in boxing.
02:29 And we all always knew he had talent.
02:30 So tonight he came in, was able to put the ball in the basket, but
02:33 also create an assist and get guys good shots like Nick feed off him a lot tonight.
02:38 So each one of us has to continue to strive to learn from one another and
02:43 challenge each other to be the best we can possibly be.
02:45 And Miles has done a great job.
02:46 He's a good voice right now.
02:48 And just continue to listen and continue to be a person that can observe, but
02:51 also get feedback too.
02:53 >> Graham talks about the offensive side on defense.
02:55 I asked coach about you taking that Jared Jackson Jr.
02:58 defensive assignment when Nick Richards went to the bench.
03:00 Could you just talk about that and being a small ball five in the system?
03:03 >> Yeah, absolutely.
03:04 I chomp myself to guard every player in this league,
03:07 no matter what position they play.
03:09 And Jared's a talented player.
03:11 He's been an all star.
03:12 He's a guy that's gonna be aggressive, especially the guys who are out for them.
03:15 So when I came in, I just wanted to take that match up,
03:18 same way I'll try and take it every single night, whenever we play.
03:20 So, solid job on, I feel like you had to ask him, see how I did too.
03:27 But it was fun and you just love that competitive side of the ball.
03:31 Defense is all about once and more.
03:33 Sometimes better offense is gonna beat you, but you have to go out and
03:37 do a course of the game, continue to battle, compete, and wear guys down.
03:41 And that's what I try to do at J.
03:42 >> And Coach Cliff talked about, you guys didn't even practice for this.
03:47 You may have had shoot around, averaging 24.7 assists on the season as a team,
03:52 have 30 tonight.
03:54 We just talked about, obviously,
03:56 the additions of the new guys mixing in with the current team.
04:01 >> You can tell that's taking as well intention.
04:02 Everybody here wants to play basketball the right way.
04:05 Everybody here really wants to win at a high level.
04:08 So tonight's one of those nights where you try to get used to one another.
04:11 And I think that's why I was very motivated to move the ball.
04:14 And Memphis does a good job of acting the pace.
04:16 So they kind of force you to.
04:18 If you don't, you're gonna typically lose that game.
04:20 So with us, this group, we had some turnovers, but we also were able to
04:25 take advantage of some of those opportunities and
04:26 looks, not only in transition, but also in the half court.
04:30 And I feel like every single person on the group team is really unselfish.
04:34 And just continue that same mentality going to each game,
04:37 no matter who we're playing.
04:38 Cuz we're playing a defensive team tonight.
04:39 We're playing a patient team that plays significantly faster than this team.
04:42 A lot less defense, so it will be interesting to see.
04:46 >> I gotta ask you this cuz you were standing right beside him when it happened.
04:50 That beast hits three threes in a row, gets a steal behind the back,
04:53 then cross.
04:55 I feel like everyone in the building thought it was going to,
04:56 just tell me what you're seeing, what you're thinking when that's going down.
04:59 >> I didn't know he was shooting it.
05:00 I was flashing to him.
05:01 You saw me, I was kind of running to him,
05:02 trying to get my hand off to get the ball back.
05:04 And when he shot it, I was like, that's tough.
05:06 And then he got it out.
05:08 And I was like, dang, they just missed it.
05:10 It's tough for, I forget who are, I always get confused,
05:14 Andy and Jason and all those guys.
05:15 But who was on the baseline, Ashley and John, or
05:18 Traylon and John didn't have a viewpoint.
05:20 Ashley, I think, was far in the backcourt.
05:21 So it's just one of those times that happens where you didn't get a chance to
05:24 see it.
05:25 But it was definitely an aggressive shot.
05:27 I was like, gosh, I didn't know he had it like that.
05:29 But it was a fun possession.
05:32 I feel like the crowd gave the refs enough of what they heard and what they saw.
05:36 And then we blocked it and ended up getting the win.
05:40 >> Greg, you played in some high power and
05:42 efficient offenses over the course of your career.
05:44 Obviously, it's just one game.
05:45 But what did you see from the ball movement?
05:48 It didn't seem like the ball was sticking much at all tonight.
05:50 >> Yeah, that's what it's gonna take for this team.
05:52 They're gonna have to be at a level of trust and belief in guys.
05:55 We have guys who are capable of making plays.
05:57 But fortunately enough, you have, when the level comes back,
06:01 you're gonna have a little bit of possession where you're gonna have to try to
06:04 create an isolation.
06:05 But throughout the course of the game, that's not how you have to play.
06:09 You have to move the ball, you have to be able to trust one another.
06:11 Even if that guy hasn't made three threes in a row and
06:14 you don't think he's gonna make the fourth, you still have to give it to him.
06:17 Because not only instills confidence in that person shooting the basketball, but
06:21 it makes a level of camaraderie within the team that shows that you trust one
06:25 another, and that's how offenses really have success.
06:27 It's the belief that everybody here is really capable and
06:31 able and can encourage others to be great at what they do.
06:35 >> Hey, Grant.
06:37 Shane Conk, the Charlotte Observer.
06:38 We talked before the game about how you remember when they brought back the buzz
06:42 when you were in high school.
06:43 And when you had that dunk toward the end of the fourth quarter,
06:46 you got your hands up in the air smiling.
06:48 How much of just kind of gave you a dream or how much did you kind of,
06:52 how much where's this moment kind of ranked among all the other things
06:54 that basketball in your hometown now playing for the state?
06:56 >> It was a lot of joy tonight, honestly.
06:58 I was able to see a lot of friends and family and staff.
07:01 I was able to get a win in a building which like,
07:04 in the history of Oregon, it's in the Bobcats and everything like that.
07:07 So I feel like I'm gonna be smiling like that every single day.
07:10 I know what Kim was talking about, how much she loved the city and
07:12 how much she loved playing here.
07:14 And I'm trying to get that same attitude and
07:16 mentality that it's a joy and a blessing to be here.
07:19 And just to be able to put this jersey on and really lead in a way.
07:25 And tonight, after that dunk, not only was it fun because of what Dunk did, but
07:28 also because Bob's made a great pass.
07:31 Everybody around really wanted success.
07:34 When Brandon dunked, I was so happy that he punched that transition.
07:37 And I was just like, this is gonna be a fun team to play on,
07:40 a fun basketball to play.
07:42 So it's really fun, good to enjoy that.