Getty Images

Grant Williams Names Darius Garland As The Toughest Player To Guard In The NBA

Grant Williams has become an instrumental piece for the Boston Celtics this year. He has helped the team reach the Eastern Conference Finals and has averaged 10.9 points, 4.2 rebounds and 0.9 assist per game on 41.5% shooting from the field so far this playoffs.

Williams is far from being a stat-sheet stuffer, but his willingness and ability to guard different high-caliber offensive players has made him an absolute catch for the Celtics. Their team has maintained a top-tier defense this playoffs, and Grant is one of the reasons why.

As a defensive-minded guy who has guarded all sorts of offensive players, Williams recently talked about the hardest players to guard in the NBA. While some may assume that the likes of Kevin Durant and Giannis Antetokounmpo would take the cake, the 23-year old Celtics forward said that Cleveland Cavaliers All-Star Darius Garland is the toughest assignment in the league.

Per Sports Illustrated:

“For guys like myself, the hardest people to guard are like Darius Garland. Small, shifty point guards. The longer, taller guys, and the physical guys I’m OK with. I do a good job on Darius and guys like that, but for me, it’s always been a small, small, small point guard that’s really shifty and quick.”