Getty Robert Williams, Boston Celtics
Robert Williams is currently enjoying his best season for the Boston Celtics since entering the NBA in 2018.
Williams has struggled for health and consistency since entering the league but is having his most consistent stretch of basketball this season, both in terms of fitness and production. In fact, the athletic big man is currently ranked third in the NBA for blocks per game and sits ninth in the league for field goal percentage.
On a recent episode of the Celtics “View From The Rafters” podcast, Williams credited veteran center Al Horford for his current level of production, noting how Horford has helped him become a more professional athlete through their time playing together.
.@rob_williamsIII and @Grant2Will join us this week on View From The Rafters presented by @Cardless to talk about their vet, @Al_Horford 🎙☘️
Full episode is out now: t.co/AcvuxJKl8N
“Al showed me the professional side of it, he came in every day, same workout, exact same time, he had the same routine. Al might not be the one yelling on the court, but if you just watch him, watch everything he do. I just watch him,” Williams said, “I’m just watching the consistency that he had every single day, still to this day. I feel like, as far as growing up in that aspect, he helped me. I don’t know if he knows I was watching him. I told him, but I don’t think he understood the severity of it.”
Horford Helping The Whole Team
When it comes to Horford’s veteran leadership, it’s not just Robert Williams who is reaping the benefits. There’s something to be said about having a level-headed veteran on your roster, who doesn’t let the flow of the game dictate their mood or how they try to lead the team.
“I call Al Mr. Reliable. I say that for on-the-court stuff, but also for our mentality. We’re not having our greatest year, and we go through times where we argue and drop our heads, but Al is always there telling us it can be better,” Williams said.
Even when we’re down by 30 points, and all of us are sitting on the bench with our heads down, he will just come up and be like ‘we know what we’re doing wrong, let’s move on to the next one.’ And even with that bit of advice, you’re like ‘ok this a vet, he been here millions of times he knows exactly what’s going on, so you gotta listen to him,” Williams told Abby Chin and Marc D’Amico.
TRUST IN AL HORFORD!
For a Celtics team that started the season with two sophomore’s and two third-year players on their bench, having some elder statesmen such as Horford and Josh Richardson was integral in their younger player’s development.
Horford’s Having a Good Season
When the Celtics traded Kemba Walker to the Oklahoma City Thunder and got Al Horford in return, most fans were happy with the trade-off. Horford’s game isn’t predicated on athleticism, so despite this being his age-35 season, most people knew he still had something to offer.
But, there was a risk to the trade. Horford had failed to reproduce his high level of play during stops with the Philadelphia 76ers and Thunder, so there was no guarantee the Celtics were getting back the same player who’d left a couple of seasons prior.
Nice Hammer screen from Horford to get Brown an easy corner 3. Great set up on the strong side to allow the action to unfold. Nice on-ball screen from Richardson to help Schroder get the passing angle too
However, Horford has been one of the Celtics’ more reliable players this season, regardless of his shooting struggles from deep. Most notably the veteran big man has helped set the tone of defense, while also being a willing screener and secondary creator for the Celtics on the offensive end of the floor.
Unfortunately, Horford’s age means he’s not going to be a long-term solution for the Celtics, but his presence on the roster is already having far-reaching effects, and if he can continue to instill a professional mentality on the Celtics young core, his second stint with the team will be a resounding success.