Boston Celtics: What to expect from Robert Williams in his return from injury

Robert Williams is expected to return from injury sooner rather than later. What can we expect from the Boston Celtics big man in his return going forward?

Robert Williams III has been out for the Boston Celtics since December 6th with a left hip injury. On Wednesday, he returned to practice and was a full participant for the first time since. Even more encouraging were the reactions to how he looked in his first time back.

Jaylen Brown commented on Williams return to practice by saying, “He had a lot of high energy and was making ridiculous plays” (Masslive.com). Returning from a lengthy hip injury, especially being a player who relies on athleticism, it’s imperative that Williams is 100 percent before returning to the floor. Brown’s comments indicate that he’s close.

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Pre-injury Williams was averaging 14.2 minutes per game. In Williams absence the Boston Celtics have relied on Daniel Theis and Enes Kanter to divide extended minutes at center. While this shouldn’t change much in his return, Williams will once again provide the Celtics a dynamic neither Theis nor Kanter offer.

In the near future when Williams does return, the Celtics will likely ease him back into the rotation. Boston will continue to rely on Theis and Kanter down the stretch as they fight for the two-seed in the eastern conference. However, getting Williams back into the mix will be important for the playoffs.

Kanter has been reliable for much of the season and has even looked better on the defensive end. But in certain matchups or game flows, he’s virtually unplayable. In the Celtics early-season win over the Milwaukee Bucks, Kanter was inactive due to injury. In their latest loss against the Bucks, Kanter played 15 minutes and had one rebound. Kanter is a good player, but he does not match up well with the Bucks rotations.

This is where Robert Williams III comes into play. Williams is far more athletic than Kanter and his strength is protecting the rim. In his 14.2 minutes of action per game, he averaged just over one block per game. Williams is a much better option to replace Theis for spurts because he’ll help guard Giannis Antetokounmpo and can do a better job on the perimeter matching up on Brook Lopez.

In general, Williams impending return is beneficial because his ability to block shots is something the Celtics currently do not have. Theis is a solid defender, but he’s not a true rim protector. Having a guy who can come off the bench and affect the game defensively will help even if it’s in limited minutes.

Over the final 27 regular season games, I’d like to see Williams show improvement on the offensive end. In order to justify playing him minutes in a crucial playoff series like one against the Bucks would be, It’s important to know that he can make some sort of impact on the offensive end.

Williams will never be a skilled center, but his athleticism should make allow him to be a lob threat in the pick-n-roll. There’s no easier shot in basketball than the dunk. Surrounded by shooters, Williams should be able to learn to get easy baskets out of the pick-n-roll.

Hopefully Williams can show some improvement in that area to end the season. If not, It’s hard to envision him playing substantial minutes in the playoffs this season. Regardless, his return to action is encouraging and gives the Celtics options going forward.