Hornets’ Grant Williams focuses his energy on becoming better than ever while recovering from ACL injury

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (CHARLOTTE SPORTS LIVE) — Even in street clothes, Grant Williams can’t help that he’s a basketball player.

“My instincts allow me to be like, ‘Oh Nerk (teammate Jusuf Nurkić) fell down, I want to pick him up,’” he said.

A life around the game has conditioned the Charlotte native to respond in a certain way. However, it’s what’s also made these last few months especially difficult.

“For anyone as a competitor, I feel like you want to be back on the court tomorrow,” he explained.

For Williams, however, that is not possible. The 26-year-old has been sidelined since November with a torn ACL. He’s shooting again but it sounds like it’ll be a while before he’s able to return to the court.

“They haven’t given me an exact date,” he told Charlotte Sports Live last week. “I think it’s just, focus on the milestones. Then once you accomplish those, that the process will be determined.”

Williams admits it’s been a trying season, but it’s also been one that’s forced him to grow. While the undersized 6-6 power forward couldn’t work on his dribbling, he says he did develop skills to become a better leader.

“How can I be there for them? Can I help them watch film? Can I communicate the coverages?’ he said. “That’s something I’ve had to key in on this whole season.”

Williams knows he’ll be back. He doesn’t have a date yet, but what he does have is the determination to be better than ever.