NBA Draft: Luka Doncic rises to first in 2018 NBA Redraft

Robert Williams III earned the nickname “Time Lord” when he was late to two team events early in his tenure with the Boston Celtics, which brought a groundswell of fan support for the nickname “Time Lord.” Williams has recovered from that initial shaky start and now looks like the center of the future for the Celtics.

Luka Doncic leads this draft class in Box Plus-Minus, a stat that uses the box score to estimate a player’s impact above an average player. The surprising player in second is Williams, who has been a per-minute monster for the Celtics who has only grown better over the past few seasons.

This past year was William’s best, as he ranked in the top-10 in blocks per game with 1.8, and shot a spiffy 72.1 percent from the field, which would have led the league if Williams had qualified. Although he played limited minutes in a crowded rotation he dominated the game at times while on the court. Again, he was ninth in the league in blocks per game despite playing just 18.9 minutes per contest.

His per-36 numbers, therefore, are eye-popping. It should be first clarified that William’s propensity for fouling and multiple injury issues depressed his minutes, but it’s still illustrative to see what he can do in a larger role. Per 36 minutes, Williams averaged 15.2 points, 13.1 rebounds and 3.3 blocks. He even averaged 3.4 assists as his nascent playmaking game grows as well.

Here in the redraft, the LA Clippers get to pair Robert Williams with Collin Sexton, giving this team legitimate starters at two different positions. Still just 23 years old, Williams should continue to grow into one of the league’s best two-way big men.