ESPN Names This Celtics Player As ‘Breakout Candidate’ For 2019-20 Season

https://nesn.com/2019/10/espn-names-this-celtics-player-as-breakout-candidate-for-2019-20-season/





ESPN Names This Celtics Player As ‘Breakout Candidate’ For 2019-20 Season



by Marcus Kwesi O'Mard


on Wed, Oct 2, 2019 at 2:16PM



Robert Williams is in the running to make a name for himself this season.

ESPN’s Tim Bontemps named the Boston Celtics center as the team’s “breakout candidate” for the 2019-20 season. Bontemps believes the Celtics’ offseason roster transformation and Williams’ dedication to improving have positioned the 21-year-old to deliver on the promise following his rookie season.

“The most memorable thing about Williams’ rookie season was his missing his introductory news conference,” Bontemps writes. “What is undeniable, though, is that he has all the potential to be an impact player in Boston. And with Al Horford’s departure, not to mention coming off a summer in which Williams has been praised repeatedly for his work habits, he is going to get an opportunity to follow through on that potential.”

The Celtics selected Williams with the 27th overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft. He appeared in just 32 games last season, averaging just 2.5 points and 2.5 rebounds in 8.8 minutes per contest.

However, Celtics head coach Brad Stevens said last month Williams, 21, enjoyed “as good a summer as anybody” on the team. If Williams’ translates his body of summer work to on-court success this season, he’ll prove Bontemps right.



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You get the feeling R Williams will get his shot this year. If he earns the majority of the center minutes behind Kanter, as the primary big off the bench, he can prove the upside he showed last season was no fluke.

Kanter's low post offense and rebounding, combined with R Williams' defense, and R Williams' own offensive abilities down low, could give this team the edge it will need to compete with the likes of Philly, the Bucks and Indy in the East.

Having two, or maybe even three other centers to compete in camp, and provide injury insurance behind Kanter and R Williams, could be a nice luxury.

Kanter and R Williams. Maybe Boston can develop a two-headed monster in the middle this season. The Celtics with a true center tandem. Not nearly up to the same level as the last time that happened, but that was way back in the mid-80's.