Boston Celtics: 2018 NBA Draft grades

The roller coaster ride that was the 2018 NBA Draft has come and gone. Now it’s time to analyze the Boston Celtics’ selection at pick No. 27, Robert Williams.

Heading into the 2018 NBA Draft, chaos was set to ensue, and the Boston Celtics‘ loomed as possible attendee in the expected transaction frenzy.

Holding seven first round picks over the next four drafts (including 2018), the Celtics had been rumored to potentially look to move up in the draft and snag one of the many elite lottery talents on offer.

As the picks began to roll through in the first round, it became increasingly obvious that Boston was happy to settle with its lone pick at No. 27.

With a number of highly touted names beginning to slip, the Celtics were able to pounce on Texas A&M center, Robert Williams. In two seasons with the Aggies, Williams averaged 11.1 points, 8.7 rebounds and a monster 2.5 blocks per contest.

Originally projected to be a lottery pick in the 2017 NBA Draft, Williams returned for his sophomore year. He once again was expected to be snapped up in the lottery, but concerns about his work ethic as the draft approached sprung doubt among league scouts.

Williams began his second year in college in the worst possible fashion, with a team-based suspension being handed down for violating team rules. Recently, he chose not to attend the NBA Draft Combine, which was not the ideal move for already gun-shy NBA franchises.

Post selection, as reported by NESN, general manager Danny Ainge was questioned about the reports on Williams. His response unsurprisingly upbeat:

"“A lot of people that we talked to — his coaches, his teammates, his trainers — we check with a lot of people that are familiar with him and everybody likes Robert. And I know that he’s not perfect, most players aren’t, and we think he’s got great upside.”"

Brad Stevens quickly echoed the thoughts of Ainge.

"“We thought that he was the right pick for us and we felt very fortunate to be able to get him tonight. He’s, again, a very good player.”"

Sports Illustrated lists Williams’ strengths being his ability to get up and down the floor and play above the rim. Also noted in that scouting report is his 10.1 percent block rate. Weaknesses include the earlier mentioned lack of desire at times, which will obviously be a point of emphasis moving forward.

Williams has an NBA-ready body, and gives the feel of a player that will be ready to produce from opening night. Though slightly undersized at 6’10”, his best position may indeed be at the 5. With Al Horford better suited to playing the 4, you can expect that Williams will be a nice fit next to his All-Star big man.

Early speculation after the pick was announced was that this may indeed be a preemptive move to an Aron Baynes exit from Boston.

As reported by Keith Smith, those thoughts may need to be halted, as Smith tweeted that the Celtics still intend on bringing Baynes back for another go-round.

Overall, Williams will be a guy asked to rebound the ball aggressively on both ends of the floor. In addition he will be expected to get out in transition for easy baskets and finish lobs in pick-and-roll situations. Funnily enough, the connection with his soon-to-be point guard, Kyrie Irving, may not take too long, as they evidently already have a similar train of thought if Williams’ recent tweet is anything to go by..

He may believe the earth is flat, but Williams is no joke on the floor. With Brad Stevens acquiring another young piece to mentor, you get the feeling those question marks over his desire will dissipate rather quickly.

As the dust settles, it’s hard to look beyond the fact that Boston snatched a talent ranked at No. 12 on the ESPN 100 list all the way down at No. 27. No one would’ve batted an eye if Williams was taken in the late lottery, and without surrendering a single further asset, Danny Ainge got his man.

In a terrifying thought for the rest of the NBA, Boston’s embarrassment of riches just got another injection of talent.

Next: Complete 2018 NBA Draft grades for all 30 teams

Grade: A