Detroit Pistons backup point guard Malachi Flynn was the biggest surprise in the NBA world Wednesday night after going off for one of the unlikeliest 50-point performances in the history of the league, but Charlotte Hornets forward Grant Williams also deserves some attention for having a surprising stat line on the same evening.
Grant Williams Started at Center Slot for the Charlotte Hornets Against The Portland Trail Blazers
Williams had an ugly shooting night in the 89-86 home loss to the Trail Blazers, as he shot just 1/6 fro the field and finished with only five points. However, he grabbed seven rebounds and surprisingly racked up a total of 11 assists — again as the starting center of the team.
The assists output of Williams was a mild surprise for Hornets fans, as he is only averaging 2.0 assists per game in the 2023-24 NBA season. He is also just dishing out 1.3 assists per outing in his career in the NBA, thus far. Not only that but the former Tennessee Volunteers star turned the ball over just once despite being active in sharing the leather to his teammates.
Via StatMuse:
Grant Williams tonight:
11 assists (career-high)
1 turnoverHe was the Hornets starting center.
It was just unfortunate that Williams’ unselfishness against the Blazers did not result in a win for Charlotte, but that’s something for him to build on.
The Hornets, who are on a four-game losing skid, will try to stop the bleeding again this Friday when they welcome Pailo Banchero and the Orlando Magic for the start of Charlotte’s final homestand of the season.
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