Grant Williams' return may have been a bigger addition than any trade deadline move

Just a little over a year ago, the Charlotte Hornets were 6-10, with a -4.6 net rating. In mid-November, though, Grant Williams tore his ACL, and the Hornets proceeded to go 13-53, with a -10.5 net rating the rest of the way.

To start the 2025-26 season, the Hornets would be without their backup forward for around the first 40 games of the season. Unlike last season, the team had a -0.5 net rating without Williams over those 40 games, and sat with a 15-25 record.

Since he has returned, the Hornets have played five games with him in the lineup. Although they sit 2-3, they have a 7.8 net rating in the games he has played, which would have them second in the entire NBA, behind the reigning champion Oklahoma City Thunder with a 13.4 net rating (insanity).

In his 67 minutes on the court, the Hornets are allowing 7.1 less points per 100 possessions versus when he is off the floor. Similarly, they see an offensive improvement of 0.3 points when he is on versus when is off the floor.

It's not just the team as a whole who improves with Williams on the floor.

Per 75 possessions, LaMelo Ball (+2.9), Kon Knueppel (+3.4), Brandon Miller (+9.3), Collin Sexton (+3.9), Sion James (+1.8), and Ryan Kalkbrenner (+7.2) all see scoring jumps when Grant is on the floor.

It all points to a sign that Grant's presence elevates the players around him.

Much of the value of the former Tennessee Volunteer comes on the defensive side of the basketball, as his defensive/offensive rating points out. He serves as the Hornets primary communicator on that side of the ball, and is the team's most versatile forward.

For years with championship level teams in Boston, Williams found himself guarding nearly every position on the court at times. Take the 2022 NBA Finals as an example, where Grant for moments was tasked with guarding Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, Kevon Looney, Draymond Green, Otto Porter... the list goes on.

So far with the Hornets, that role has not changed despite the fact that he missed over a year of basketball.

"I’ve seen a ton of growth from Grant in a lot of different ways," said Head Coach Charles Lee before Wednesday night's matchup with the Cleveland Cavaliers. "Number one, when you have the game that you love taken away from you, it gives you a different perspective. It helped him realize how much he loves the game—which he already knew—but it gives a greater perspective.

Williams impact is not just limited to the defensive side of the basketball, but also as a leader on the team.

"And then also, how much he can still impact our team with his overall presence and vocal leadership," Lee continued.

I even think he fueled the environment of work ethic by showing other guys how hard he was going in his rehab workouts... I even think that from an emotional standpoint, he’s a very competitive person."

Grant is not the most talented player on the Hornets roster, and likely not someone the team views as a cornerstone in the long-term. He provides something much stronger than scoring, though: structure.

He has helped the team stabalize rotations, figure out defensive coverages, and set a standard for professionalism on a roster with just three total players older than 27 years old. Though five games is a small sample size, the Hornets season looks like it will be getting even better with their backup four back.

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