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Undoubtedly, Dallas Mavericks forward Grant Williams would cast his regular-season MVP vote for Luka Doncic. The reasons go beyond any partisan slant.
“He does everything you could possibly ask for in a star player,” Williams told Sportskeeda.
Yet, Williams also understands how selected NBA reporters and broadcasters base their votes. With the Mavericks (24-18) in seventh place in the Western Conference standings, Doncic’s hopes to win his first NBA title and regular-season MVP award could depend on some things beyond his statistical production.
“He’ll receive the MVP award the better our record is" Williams said.
Grant Williams interview (Exclusive)
Williams spoke to Sportskeeda in a wide-ranging conversation about Doncic’s play, the dynamic between Doncic and Kyrie Irving and Dereck Lively II’s development. Williams also touched on if the Mavs can become an elite defensive team, competitive moments with LeBron James and Jimmy Butler and more.
Editor’s note: The following 1-on-1 conversation has been condensed and edited
What’s the experience like playing with Luka and Kyrie compared to playing with [Jayson] Tatum and [Jaylen] Brown in Boston?
Grant Williams:
"It’s different. These two produce a lot of attention. Each are different. Luka, I feel like he probes a little bit more compared to Kyrie because Kyrie is a little bit more off-the-ball and plays a little bit faster. JT and JB had the ball in their hands a ton. They did a good job with sinking in defenders and kicking it out to open shooters. They still play that type of basketball in Boston now – that kind of isolation style and, at the same time, movement. Transition is when they get the most opportunity to play freely. It’s different. But they are all some of the best players in the world.”
I know you don’t have perspective from last season. But since you’ve been here, why do you think Luka and Kyrie have worked so well together?
Grant Williams:
“I think people underestimate the level of IQ they both have. Being able to play off the ball and on-the-ball, Kyrie has that ability and Luka has that ability. He produces so much attention. Sometimes you can stand him at the top of the key in the corner and people will faceguard him all the way out there. So we just have to do a good job with making sure that we make what’s easy for them – getting open shots for them, but also because they get open shots for us the whole night. That’s the potential with this team. Offensively, it’s going to be tough to beat us in clutch situations. But defensively, we have to step up consistently every night.”
Luka’s always going to be MVP candidate. But as his teammate, what’s your argument on why he’s better than the other candidates?
Grant Williams:
“His impact across the way. He impacts the game in many different facets. He’s a better defender than people give him credit for. He does a great job with not only impacting winning, but with making the right reads and creating open looks for himself and others. And it’s all about winning. I feel like that’s the No. 1 thing. He’ll receive the MVP award the better our record is, in my opinion, because he does everything you could possibly ask for in a star player to do and it’s amazing to watch. He’s amazing to play with. We just have to do a better job with helping him.”
You have all managed to stay afloat in the playoff race despite injuries to both Kyrie and Luka at various points this season. What have you all done to stay in the mix?
Grant Williams:
“It’s been an interesting year. We’ve dealt with a bunch of injuries as a team. We’ve been trying to get some consistency from the group. I feel like we have a bunch of guys in and out of the rotation. It’s making it tough on [Jason] Kidd and guys around him. We have games where we come in and we figure it out and games where we don’t. It’s just a matter of staying together as we maintain perspective that it’s a long season.”
What was your role behind the scenes in holding the fort down?
Grant Williams:
“I don’t think I did anything too significant. It’s just a matter of keeping guys together. I think we did a good job of that as a group. We went 5-2 in that stretch with no Luka. Then before that, we had no Kai. We’ve had a next-man up mentality the next season. We just have to keep that same approach, no matter who is in and out of the lineup. Now that we’re starting to get a little healthier, things are going to change for the rotation. So it’s about understanding perspective and making sure we’re here for one another.”
How would you evaluate the team’s defense?
Grant Williams:
“It has gotten better as the year has gone on. But it’s still not where it needs to be. Sometimes we allow our shots to dictate how well we play defensively. That’s part of [being] a mature group and a group that is new to one another and getting used to one another. So, we just have to keep pushing forward and understand we have to trust the coaching staff and things that they’re giving us, the details that they’re giving us and trust our principles. That’s how I think we’re going to improve.”
What do you think is key for the group to get out of the mindset on whether shots going in or out influence the defense?
Grant Williams:
"I think it’s a matter of communicating that to one another. If a game isn’t going our way or our shots aren’t falling, doubling down on that side of the ball and understanding the importance that no matter if we’re not scoring, making sure that the other team doesn’t. It keeps us in the game. Eventually, our shots will end up falling. If they don’t, then it might be a game we have to [lean on our defense]. That’s how it goes in the playoffs sometimes. Sometimes you just don’t have it that night. Preparing ourselves for games like that is going to be huge.”
At the end of last season, this team said it needed to improve defensively. What have you done to help the Mavs on defense?
Grant Williams:
“First thing I do is just do my job. We have a bunch of guys that are capable defenders – D-Jones [Derrick Jones], Josh Green, D. Lively, just making sure we all come together and understand each other’s strengths and understand what we’re trying to accomplish on the defensive end of the ball. Sometimes we have lot of breakdowns, myself included, that’s not the step of a mature defense. We have young mistakes that we make. Some of them we’ve improved on throughout the year, but we’re still not fully there. So, making sure that we continue to prioritize that and continue to watch film on that and make sure that we understand that as much as we score the basketball, our defense has to at least keep the other team from doing the same.”
How good can this team be on defense? Top five/top 10? How do you look at that?
Grant Williams:
“We have the potential. It’s hard to put an analytical number on it because we haven’t necessarily performed to that level. We’ve had stretches where we’ve been a top-five offense and top-five defense. And we’ve had stretches where we’ve had a No. 30 offense and No. 30 defense. So that level of understanding consistency is what we have to search out for. I think we have the potential to be one of those key defensive groups. But it’s got to be a commitment from both sides.”
Your defensive background is interesting because sometimes you’re asked to guard big forwards and sometimes quick ones. How do you compare and contrast the challenges?
Grant Williams:
“Each one is a little more different than one another. With banging and bruising with the bigger guys, I feel like that makes you more tired. Not only are you having to run up and down and play with pace, but you’re also having to go down there and battle and make sure guys don’t get offensive rebounds and make sure guys don’t get easy catches. Versus chasing a smaller wing or smaller guard, you have more movement. There may be [more movement], but there is not as much banging. You might get hit by screens and things of that sort. But you’re pretty much guarding in space. It allows you, in isolation, I feel like I can do a solid job. I got to be better off coming off screens, defending off screens and guarding those actions. To each their own. That’s part of the repertoire I’m trying to build and continue to build as I establish myself in the league.”
Is one more difficult than the other? Or both equally difficult for different reasons?
Grant Williams:
“Difficult for different reasons. For a guy like myself, I feel like the more difficult one is the smaller guards because I like to battle and bang and bruise. But I think that’s where I’ve improved as the years have gone on.
You’ve had some good outings against Giannis [Antetokounmpo]. What have you done well against him?
Grant Williams:
“That’s what banging and bruising does. That’s fun for me. I enjoy battles like that, especially a guy like Giannis that competes to the utmost level. Guys like him, ‘Bron [LeBron James], [Joel] Embiid, Zion [Williamson], top to bottom those guys are pretty much the bruisers in the league. So is Julius Randle. Those are fun matchups. You can’t let them outside and be as physical as they dictate on the ball. Also understanding the referees that night, whether they’re calling certain things or they’re letting you play a little bit more. Using your speed in some matchups to your advantage and using your strength in others. That’s really the biggest thing.”
You’ve had different competitive moments with LeBron and [Jimmy] Butler. How would you compare what the trash-talking dynamic is like with them?
Grant Williams:
“I will say it’s just physicality. With those two guys, it’s the impact on the actual play. The talk itself, none of them are seeking out trash talk or talking to you. Neither am I. It just happens in the heat of the moment. You just compete to your utmost ability. That’s how I feel like those two guys impact games.”
What have you seen in Dereck Lively’s development?
Grant Williams:
“His energy and ability to impact plays. I think the biggest growth he’ll have is on the defensive end. That’s where he’s going to continue to improve. Offensively, he’s played seamlessly. He has great hands and makes it easy on a guy like Luka to be able to put the ball toward the rim and just have a lob threat, even with offensive rebounds and touch shots after the fact. He’s worked his butt off to improve on that. He’ll continue to improve on that, especially at a young age. As long as he keeps that will, he’s going to be amazing.”
How much do you mentor him?
Grant Williams:
“I wouldn’t say I’m a mentor for him. I feel like we’re both at that age now where we support one another. I can give him history and facts. Maybe that is being a mentor. But at the same time, he’s going to deal with his own experiences. I’m going to have to help and not only be there for him at times when he doesn’t necessarily have the answers. But at the same time, sometimes I won’t have the answers. He’s going to deal with different experiences than I have, especially my time in Boston. He’s very similar to Rob [Williams III]. But in a way, they are two different players. So it’s very interesting to see.”
Mark Medina is an NBA insider for Sportskeeda. Follow him on X, Instagram, Facebook and Threads.
