Key piece of the Hornets, on the impact of LaMelo Ball: "He is present every day"

Veteran power forward for the Charlotte Hornets, Grant Williams, continues to rehabilitate from the serious knee injury suffered in November 2024, which included tears to the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and meniscus in his right knee.

In an interview with Roderick Boone of the Charlotte Observer, the former Tennessee player (6'6") discussed his recovery and admitted he is not yet fully recovered. As of now, he has not returned to full-contact practices. "I feel good. Physically, I'm taking it day by day," said Williams. "Rehabilitation is a slow process. There can be good days and bad days, but fortunately, I am now in a position where I can get back on the court to some extent. I'm still not ready for contact, but I am ready to train and work, which gives me some peace of mind: I'm shooting well, joking around... Still looking for better shooters in the gym to compete against."

Williams also emphasized the patience the franchise is showing during this process. "They are not rushing me to come back," he added. "They understand that it may take some time for me to get back into the rhythm of the game. I am grateful not only for having that freedom to get comfortable and back to myself, but also because the most important thing for me is to ensure that I can play many more years. The health and longevity of my career are the priority, so that I can help this team compete at the highest level for several years."

In the 16 games he played in good form with Charlotte in the 2024/25 season, Williams averaged 10.4 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per night, with shooting percentages of 43.9% from the field, 36.5% from three-point range, and 83.8% from the free-throw line. The 26-year-old power forward now enters his third season of the four-year, $53.3 million contract he signed in 2023. Although he could become a trade piece before the 2026 deadline, he first has to prove he is fully recovered and can return to performing well on both ends of the court.

Grant Williams' Statements

On the Hornets' veteran acquisitions this offseason: "I feel like we are much more athletic now. We have added more depth not only top to bottom, but also position by position. We have more guards, more scoring potential, more ability to play in transition. We have bigs like Mason (Plumlee) and Moussa (Diabaté) who can run the floor really well. Also, Ryan (Kalkbrenner), who defends the paint well and can also stretch the floor. I've seen him shoot and he does it very well. So, it's exciting to have that versatility on the team."

"Regarding the wings, we also have a lot of offensive potential. There's Collin Sexton, Tre Mann, Josh Green when he returns, myself when I'm healthy, Miles (Bridges), Kon (Knueppel)... You could keep naming players. We have many options, and that excites us not only for the scoring potential but also for the ability to compete at the highest level every night, even in the face of absences."

On Charlotte's rookies this season: "They are honestly great people. Very open, very funny, too. But of course, they are young, they are green, they don't know what's coming their way. So, the important thing now is to be able to communicate to them what they can expect, and what we want to establish as an organization: our key pillars, our style of play, how we want to relate within the team. They are very receptive and willing. They have not shut themselves off to anything, and I think they are approaching everything with the right attitude."

On LaMelo Ball's leadership: "He is doing a lot of things that bring value. Not just with his voice, but with his attitude. He is present every day. He is someone you can look at and say, 'He is working every day, he's not one of those who says they train but are not with the group.' No, he is there every day. He does all the practices, he is available."

On coach Charles Lee's focus in his second year: "He understands that everything comes down to the team. It's not about one player, and he values having every member, from the first to the 17th or 18th on the roster. He treats everyone equally to bring out the best in each individual and also the group. And I think that comes from that collective mentality, understanding that even if one night is not yours, that doesn't mean we've lost confidence in you."

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Pieza clave de los Hornets, sobre el impacto de LaMelo Ball: "Está presente todos los días"