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Given all that transpired for the Boston Celtics this season, it may take a discerning eye to identify some of the positive developments the team experienced in 2020-21. However, the late-season evolution of big man Robert Williams III was an obvious notch in the plus column.
With Tristan Thompson battling COVID-19 and Celtics GM Danny Ainge making the surprising decision to move on from Daniel Theis at the trade deadline, Williams was thrust into the starting five in March. In short order, he rewarded the Celtics for showing faith in him.
Over his final 15 regular-season appearances, Williams put up 8.8 points, 8.1 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.8 blocks in just 23.3 minutes per contest. Along the way, Boston outscored opponents by 9.1 points per 100 possessions when he was on the floor; the best mark on the team by a significant margin.
Williams was so good, in fact, that a major outlet just singled out his efforts as the most encouraging performance of anyone on the Celtics roster throughout the season.
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Harper: Williams Was the Cs ‘Most Encouraging’ Player
On Tuesday, The Athletic’s Zach Harper put out his final NBA power rankings before the NBA play-in tournament and postseason hoops tip-off. As one might expect, the Celtics hit the list in the middle of the pack, ranking 16th overall.
However, Harper didn’t stop there — he also listed players from each franchise who he felt were the “most encouraging,” as well as those who “you want more from.” Thanks to his second-half explosion, Williams got the nod in the former category.
“What we saw from Williams in March and April finally made me a believer in the Boston Celtics’ big man,” wrote Harper. “We need to see him play really well for an extended period of time, but Williams has definitely started to put things together more often.”
Unfortunately, that “extended period of time” likely won’t come until next season. Regardless of how the Celtics fare in their play-in showdown with the Washington Wizards, Williams continues to battle turf toe, leaving his status for postseason play up in the air.
Still, he had shown enough improvement during the 15 second-half games that he did play to get folks excited.
“His defensive instincts are still a bit slow at times, but he’s sopping up that experience like a sponge,” Harper noted. “His ability to be a good safety valve on offense keeps his efficiency high. He’s a pretty good playmaker for a big man as well.”
Inexperienced though he may be, the game he has shown offers hope that a big-time jump could be in Williams’ immediate future.
“Williams as the Celtics’ full-time starting center next season could yield the results they’ve desperately needed.”
Kemba Walker Cited as Player Needed to Step Up
While Williams was shouted out for the ways in which he has grown as a player, former All-Star Kemba Walker hit the opposite end of the spectrum. According to The Athletic, Boston needs a lot more from the 10-year veteran.
“The knee injury. The lack of consistency on offense. The defensive struggles. Walker hasn’t been the All-Star-level guard the Celtics hoped they were getting,” wrote Harper.
He’s not wrong, either.
Walker hasn’t been bad; in his 43 games with Boston this season, he put up 19.3 points, 4.9 assists and 4.0 rebounds while posting an effective field goal percentage on the right side of 50. But Harper was accurate in his assessment that the Celtics have yet to truly get their money’s worth from him.
“He’s been pretty good at times, but this was a rough season for him,” he wrote. “With Jaylen Brown hurt and out for the postseason push, the Celtics need more from Walker if they hope to return to the playoffs and put up a fight once they’re in the postseason. Walker has to make the defense pay to complement Jayson Tatum. The Celtics badly need him to be a weapon.”
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