Celtics Star Out Longer Than Initially Expected: Report

Robert Williams III

Getty Robert Williams III #44 of the Boston Celtics reacts.

On September 21, Heavy Sports’ Sean Deveney was the first to report that Robert Williams III was going to require arthroscopic surgery on the same knee in which he tore his meniscus. The expected timeframe for his return was reportedly four to six weeks, which meant that, at the very worst, he’d be out for a couple of regular season games.

However, after Williams had the surgery, it appears he’s going to be out longer than the initial timeframe slated for him to be. When the Boston Celtics announced that Williams had successful surgery on his knee, they revealed that Williams was going to be out for eight to 12 weeks.

That means he may not return until as late as potentially December. When the 2022-23 season starts, the Celtics will be without one of their starting centers for the first couple of weeks and who knows for how much longer.

Williams’ surgery, combined with Ime Udoka’s season-long suspension, means the Celtics will have to make a few adjustments after last season.


Why Did Williams Get the Surgery Now?

When Williams surgery was first reported, many asked why Williams got the surgery so late in the offseason when he could have gotten it much earlier, which could have negated any missed time period. Heavy Sports’ Sean Deveney explained the timing for Williams’ surgery.

“According to sources, Williams opted to keep pressure off the knee after the Celtics wound up their six-game June loss to the Warriors in the NBA Finals, spending July resting. He then began to ramp up his activity level in August, working out in California, and the knee responded well. There were no indications that another surgery would be needed.

“It was only recently that some swelling and pain began to return to Williams’ knee, making the surgery necessary.”

Deveney also clarified that Williams playing in the playoffs had little to do with his most surgery since doing so was not going to cause further damage.

“Before he played in the postseason, Williams had his MRI checked by three different doctors outside the Celtics’ orbit, all of whom gave him the OK to play. The possibility of pain was always there, but the doctors all concluded that there was no chance of causing further damage to the knee by playing in those games.

“In fact, as the postseason went on, Williams experienced less pain and did not need to get shots to drain fluid. Playing in those games, in other words, did not lead to this surgery.”

Williams’ playoff debut started in Game 3 against the Brooklyn Nets in the first round and ended in Game 6 of the NBA Finals against the Golden State Warriors, though he did miss a few games here and there throughout their playoff run.


Danilo Gallinari Has Successful Surgery on His Knee

Following their report on Williams’ surgery, the Celtics then revealed that Danilo Gallinari has successful surgery to repair his torn ACL, though no timeframe was provided for his return.

Gallinari is expected to miss most of, if not the entire season, though Adam Himmelsbach reported that Brad Stevens told him that Gallinari is determined to play this coming season.

“Stevens said Gallinari, signed to a two-year deal in July, had been strengthening his knee in preparation for surgery and is motivated to return this season.”

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