Robert Williams is maximizing his growing role with Celtics: ‘The sky is limit for him’

https://www.masslive.com/celtics/2021/03/robert-williams-is-maximizing-his-growing-role-with-celtics-the-sky-is-limit-for-him.html




Robert Williams is maximizing his growing role with Celtics: ‘The sky is limit for him’



Updated 6:00 AM; Today 6:00 AM




Boston Celtics' Robert Williams III warms up before an NBA basketball game against the Memphis Grizzlies, Wednesday, Dec. 30, 2020, in Boston. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)AP



By Brian Robb | brobb@masslive.com



The road to extended opportunity has been a slow journey for Robert Williams with the Celtics. For the past two years, injuries have been the primary obstacle, including a hip issue that kept him sidelined for more than half of the 2019-20 regular season. A breakout postseason in 2020 against the Raptors made Williams look like a guy ready to take on a bigger role this season, however, the offseason acquisition of Tristan Thompson for the full mid-level exception put a wrench in those plans for much of the first two months of the 2020-21 season.

Heading into this campaign, Williams was going to get his chance on a nightly basis but there would be a short leash on the third-year center with two proven veterans ahead of him in the rotation and a third big (Grant Williams) also proving himself capable as a small ball center last year.

With the Celtics dropping two games below .500 last week and the team’s bench offense looking overmatched as injuries piled up to other key players in the rotation, we have started to see a shift with Williams standing in Brad Stevens’ pecking order. More opportunity has arrived and with it has come added production from the athletic big man.

Williams was front and center as a key contributor in Tuesday’s 117-112 win over the Clippers for Boston, stuffing the sheet with 13 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 blocks in just 22 minutes. Those 22 minutes were just one minute shy of his season-high and included some pivotal action during the closing minutes of a tight game in the fourth quarter. Williams offensive upside has earned him a longer look as the center is shooting 71 percent from the field this season, the second-highest number in the NBA among players that attempt four shots per game.

Whether it’s his offensive rebounds, putbacks, or his lob finishes, Williams is giving the Celtics a dynamic added option on offense and his numbers are steadily increasing as he’s been giving more opportunity. In Boston’s current three-game winning streak, Williams is posting 11.0 ppg on 72.2 percent shooting from the field. His all-around numbers (8.3 rpg, 3.3 apg, 1.7 bpg) are sensational as well in that stretch with a five-minute boost in his minutes per game average on the season (20.7 mpg) leading to some terrific production.

“He’s on a great trajectory, really helping us,” Brad Stevens said Tuesday night. “One of the things about Rob that sometimes does not get talked about enough is that he’s a competitor. He wants to win, he plays hard, goes after rebounds, and he’s learning how to take advantage of what he does best at both ends of the floor.”

While the learning curve for Williams is still far from complete when it comes to handling big moments and at times on the defensive end, his upside offensively only has his star teammates excited about the possibilities he opens up for the team with added run.

“I mean Rob’s development since he’s gotten here has been pretty damn good,” said Jaylen Brown. “He’s really carved out a great role not just on this team but in this league, and as he’s gotten more consistent minutes, we can see his play continue to emerge. We still like to challenge him game to game to be locked in defensively and everything, but in terms of where he started at to where he’s at now, the sky’s the limit. He’s going to continue to get better, and the more we put him on the floor, I think the better he’s going to get. So we’re looking forward to that.”

“That kid, man, he’s unbelievably talented,” Kemba Walker added. “He’s just improving every single day and he’s huge for our team, especially over the course of the last couple of games. He’s been amazing to watch, he’s been amazing to be on the court with.”

Daniel Theis remains the primary closer for the Celtics at center but there are going to be plenty of nights when the big man doesn’t have it offensively, such as Tuesday against the Clippers. With Tristan Thompson struggling more defensively this year than the team expected, he’s no longer the default option as an alternative in the middle to Theis late in games. Instead, Williams has been given a chance to help maximize floor spacing by crashing the paint as a lob threat and offensive rebounder, putting added pressure on interior defenses. There have been and will continue to be growing pains but the offensive potential is looking more and more like it’s worth the defensive risk.

“Being on the floor in crunch time really is a major learning situation for me,” Williams admitted “I obviously want to make the right decisions but the more I’m out there, the more comfortable I get.”

Consistency is the next step for Williams in this process, particularly on the defensive end and he has a long way to go on that front to earn the full trust of the coaching staff. However, for a Celtics team that is winning games this year more on the strength of their offense rather than slowing opponents down with defense, Williams is a weapon to help maximize that attack and potentially create the best version of the Celtics this year.

“I’m not surprising myself at all because I know what I’m capable of,” he said. “Like I said, it’s being out there, getting the time, not necessarily focusing on making the perfect play every time. Just playing your game.”


Bob
MY NOTE:  We should remember a couple of things about this young stud.  One, he is young, he isn't even 23 1/2 years old.  Two, he missed his rookie summer league and much, if not all, of that preseason.  He's only played in a total of 89 games over 2+ seasons, a career grand total of 1116 minutes and 445 of those career minutes were this year.  By comparison, Pritchard has played 616 minutes already.  Grant Williams played 1043 in his rookie year.  His more limited minutes aren't necessarily Brad's fault, he's been injured a lot, but regardless that has hindered his progress.


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The more minutes he gets, the better and faster his decisions become. His positioning on defense and under the boards on both ends is improving with each game. He can pass and is displaying increasingly quick hands. He's showing the interior scoring ability this team badly needs. RW3 and Pritchard have fantastic chemistry in the PnR too. If that hip condition holds up enough for RW3 to get more minutes, he could help solve the hole this team has in the paint.

He does have quick hands, obviously has great length, he comes up with alot of steals. Danny didn’t want Turner because he choose to develop the Timelord. Turner has never had a great motor and is a fairly weak rebounder. Timelord has been on a rebounding tear as of late, the key for this team getting to the next level is keeping RW healthy and getting him more minutes.

RW needs time on the court to get ready for playoff basketball. Every minute GWill displaces him at center hurts Rob's and the teams development.

Although we are only 3 games out of third place, we are still only 1 game out of 8th! Play Rob.

This thread was published before the Raptors game

Everyone seems to agree that rob needs to play consistent minutes.  

Rob expends a tremendous amount of energy and his stamina prevents him from being a 30 MPG player at a high level.  That's okay.

I do believe he fits perfectly into a 20-24 MPG slot.  I would like to see a few more FGA from him each game and I think they can come from more PNR action and also from his teammate getting him the ball in the post area.    KW and JT are the high usage guys on this team.  JT in particular with his size and length could become a better passer into the post.  

If Rob gets 8 shots per game he will be in double figures.  

This changes some of the dynamics on offense for us.   Spreading the floor is not just about perimeter spacing.  It is also about collapsing the defense.   A good mixture of inside out and outside in action will make us a better offensive team.

https://www.shreveporttimes.com/story/sports/college/2018/03/23/former-north-caddo-star-robert-williams-turning-pro/454834002/

dboss wrote:This thread was published before the Raptors game

Everyone seems to agree that rob needs to play consistent minutes.  

Rob expends a tremendous amount of energy and his stamina prevents him from being a 30 MPG player at a high level.  That's okay.

I do believe he fits perfectly into a 20-24 MPG slot.  I would like to see a few more FGA from him each game and I think they can come from more PNR action and also from his teammate getting him the ball in the post area.    KW and JT are the high usage guys on this team.  JT in particular with his size and length could become a better passer into the post.  

If Rob gets 8 shots per game he will be in double figures.  

This changes some of the dynamics on offense for us.   Spreading the floor is not just about perimeter spacing.  It is also about collapsing the defense.   A good mixture of inside out and outside in action will make us a better offensive team.

You may be among the last humans on Earth that remember this fact.

NYCelt wrote:

dboss wrote:This thread was published before the Raptors game

Everyone seems to agree that rob needs to play consistent minutes.  

Rob expends a tremendous amount of energy and his stamina prevents him from being a 30 MPG player at a high level.  That's okay.

I do believe he fits perfectly into a 20-24 MPG slot.  I would like to see a few more FGA from him each game and I think they can come from more PNR action and also from his teammate getting him the ball in the post area.    KW and JT are the high usage guys on this team.  JT in particular with his size and length could become a better passer into the post.  

If Rob gets 8 shots per game he will be in double figures.  

This changes some of the dynamics on offense for us.   Spreading the floor is not just about perimeter spacing.  It is also about collapsing the defense.   A good mixture of inside out and outside in action will make us a better offensive team.

You may be among the last humans on Earth that remember this fact.

NYCelt,




Bob


.

Bob,

Now on Netflix!

Regards

NYCelt wrote:Bob,

Now on Netflix!

Regards

NYCelt

I watched and enjoyed every season.

dboss wrote:

NYCelt wrote:Bob,

Now on Netflix!

Regards

NYCelt

I watched and enjoyed every season.  

Never saw it, but now I'm going to have to check it out.

Funny thing is we have DirecTV, Netflix and various other streaming services, TVs all over the place, and except for ball games I hardly ever watch TV.

NYCelt wrote:

dboss wrote:

NYCelt wrote:Bob,

Now on Netflix!

Regards

NYCelt

I watched and enjoyed every season.  

Never saw it, but now I'm going to have to check it out.

Funny thing is we have DirecTV, Netflix and various other streaming services, TVs all over the place, and except for ball games I hardly ever watch TV.

TV's all over the place. I hear you. You gotta decide which one to watch

Your comment sparks a memory. I remember back in the mid 50's when we got our first TV. I do not remember the size of the screen but I do recall that it was a Motorola. At that time there was only one station in Boston. WBZ TV. Now we have a plethora of viewing options and I can barely decide what to watch unless the Celtics are coming on.

Did anyone see RW take it off the bounce moving from L to R with an attempted left handed layup?. That is the first time I have seen that.