Getty Trevion Williams, Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics get their Summer League season started on July 9, as they face off against the Miami Heat in Las Vegas.
Outside of Yam Madar, who opted to miss this year’s Summer League, the roster is exactly what you would expect. JD Davison will be part of the rotation, along with Sam Hauser and a plethora of undrafted talent and G-League standouts. Yet, no player is garnering more attention than Trevion Williams – the undrafted big man out of Purdue with elite passing ability.
And according to Summer League head coach, Ben Sullivan, the young center is already making a big impression on the coaching staff.
“The first thing that stood out was his passing – such a willing passer. Great vision, he can see the whole floor, with his size, touch, and feel, was just really impressed with not only his willingness to pass, but his vision and ability to see the floor,” Sullivan told the media during a July 8 press conference.
Williams Passing Provides Huge Potential
When you look at the current Celtics roster, it quickly becomes evident that the team boasts two of the best passing centers the NBA has to offer in Al Horford and Robert Williams. Sure, the Celtics seldom utilized their passing bigs last season but given their playmaking ability that could change in the coming months.
Trevion Williams is built in a similar mold and has proven to be an exceptional passer – especially out of the mid-post. While at Purdue, the Boilermakers consistently put the young center in positions to impact the offense with his passing, either running dribble-hand-offs around the elbows on Zoom actions or hitting well-placed swing passes after ducking into the mid-post.
If Ime Udoka plans on running more offense through Boston’s plethora of passing bigs, then Trevion Williams could find himself in a favorable position during training camp, assuming he performs at a high level during the upcoming Summer League games and tournament.
Boston’s Roster Provides Opportunity for Williams
The Celtics currently have a shortage at the center position after trading away Daniel Theis as part of the trade package that acquired Malcolm Brogdon on July 1. Sure, Boston could look to free agency to fill the void, or utilize their $17.2 million trade exception.
However, if the Purdue product proves capable of filling the void, and allowing Udoka to keep continuity with his offensive and defensive schemes, he could position himself for a shot at the final 15-man roster. Of course, Trevion Williams is still incredibly raw outside of his passing, and it’s unlikely he would garner significant minutes on a regular basis.
But, as a cost-controlled option, the playmaking center could be the perfect understudy to Robert Williams and Horford, while also applying pressure to Luke Kornet – who projects to be the primary backup center with how things are currently constructed.
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Regardless of what happens in the coming weeks, Trevion Williams has found himself in a favorable situation with a clear path to an NBA roster spot if he excels in Summer League and training camp, and for an undrafted rookie, that’s more than he could have hoped for.
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