Positive signs for Hornets' Grant Williams as his recovery picks up momentum

Following a February 8th trade back in 2024 with the Dallas Mavericks, the Charlotte Hornets found their glue guy in Grant Williams. Having elite players with unique skill sets is required for an NBA franchise to be competitive, but to have a group that's fighting for something bigger than a playoff spot, you need a glue guy.

Williams, unfortunately, hasn't been able to help the Bugs out all that much since coming back home, playing in just 29 games two seasons ago in what was a lost year, and then in just 16 games last season before he suffered a torn ACL.

His absence may not have been noticeable in the box score, but it certainly was on the floor. More often than not, the Hornets were unorganized on the defensive end of the floor, with guys looking completely lost on what to do.

Williams doesn't get paid to put people in the right spot, but he is there to help, acting as a coach on the floor. With that comes accountability. If someone doesn't get to their spot or fails to do a certain action on the offensive end of the floor, Williams will speak up and say something. That's just part of who he is and the winning background he comes from, having played for the Boston Celtics.

This young bunch the Hornets have assembled needs a sense of direction, a leader who can lift up players' spirits in the face of adversity. When Williams officially returns to the court, they'll have that.

Recently, a video surfaced on social media of Williams moving around pretty good in a gym session at Queens University, putting up shots and lightly dunking a ball.

Grant Williams is back in the gym. 👀

(📹 @Grant2Will) pic.twitter.com/vTRWyGQzGJ
— r/CharlotteHornets on Reddit (@HornetsReddit) August 4, 2025

It's unknown at this point in time what Williams is restricted to and when he will be given the full go, but the Hornets' training staff will likely be extremely cautious with him and have a slow ramp-up period for him, involving a minutes restriction once he does suit up for a game.

In those 16 contests last season, Williams averaged 10.4 points and 5.1 rebounds per game.

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