Boston Celtics fans could not have woken up happier this morning. Yet another wire-to-wire win over a playoff team in the Minnesota Timberwolves propelled a once under .500 team into first place in the Eastern Conference standings.
That good feeling was short-lived, however, as Shams Charania of The Athletic broke the news that center Robert Williams III will have an “indefinite absence” with a meniscus tear.
The impact of the Robert Williams injury for the Boston Celtics
Boston Celtics center Robert Williams is feared to have suffered a meniscus tear in his left knee, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. It could lead to an indefinite absence, which would be a tough loss for the Celtics as Williams is shining as the starting center this season.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) March 28, 2022
Williams seemed to come up a bit limp after jumping up for a possible putback attempt late in the second quarter. He still logged nearly 10 minutes in the third quarter before being shut down for the rest of the ballgame.
Head coach Ime Udoka stated that Williams was in “quite a bit of pain,” which left fans thinking about the possibilities of how severe the injury could be for the rest of the evening. This was the worst-case scenario for the Celtics, but it doesn’t necessarily take them out of the position they are currently in.
The season is not “over” just like that. They still are a well-rounded defensive team that has puzzled opponents as of late. Subtracting a shot-blocking presence changes how teams will attack them, but it does not change how they will defend teams.
Grant Williams is the most likely candidate to slide into the starting lineup alongside Al Horford. Horford will continue to defend opposing bigs while Grant has the speed and footwork to be thrown into switches and the size to hold his own with opposing bigs. While he may have taken a few shots to the face from Karl Anthony-Towns last night, he still held his own.
You can even get creative and throw Horford into the Rob Williams spot, using him as a roamer and shot-blocker. The 35-year-old is averaging 1.2 blocks per game and has been a well-respected rim protector at many points in his career.
Daniel Theis was essentially brought in as Robert Williams injury insurance in the first place and will be called upon to play even bigger minutes now. Theis was the starting center during the Celtics’ Eastern Conference Finals run in 2020 and has proven to be a reliable option protecting the paint and playing in the dunker’s spot.
We have even seen a small uptick in his three-point shooting, hitting at a 33 percent clip during his time in Boston this season. It also cannot be ruled out just yet that Rob does return at some point during the playoffs. There is yet to be an official timetable released for William’s recovery, so there is still some hope to be held for the Boston faithful.
While the C’s will have to adjust their rotation and game plan over these next few weeks, they should not be thrown out of the conversation of contenders.
This team has shown that they can change on the fly. Let’s not forget the great turnaround they have completed, going 29-7 over their last 36 games and basically dominating the entire league for the past two and a half months.
The Celtics can hold down the ship and even ride it out without Williams if they have to. The top seed in the East has yet another challenge to take on for the big playoff push that lies ahead.