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Robert Williams notched the first triple-double of his career during the Boston Celtics December 31 victory over the Phoenix Suns.
For all of Williams’ highlight dunks, alley-oops, and blocks, one of his most underrated skills is his passing ability. Be it from the low-block, mid-post, elbow, or above the break in a delay action, Williams can fire off precision passes.
As one of the more underrated passing big-men in the NBA, Celtics fans weren’t surprised to see Williams hit the 10 assists mark against the Suns, but it likely made the rest of the league take notice.
“I didn’t know how good of a passer he was. Obviously, we would do some of that stuff with Al coming into the season. But I really saw what Rob can do there, so you can run stuff through both of those guys,” Ime Udoka told the media following Williams’ exceptional performance on New Year’s Eve.
The Celtics also have Al Horford, who himself is a high-level passer for his position, giving the team two bigs who can offer playmaking on all three levels of the court. For a Celtics team who are devoid of a legitimate playmaker this season, seeing the team lean on some of their better passers, despite their position, is an encouraging sign for the development of their offense.
Jaylen Brown Heaped Praise on Robert Williams
No player has been the subject of as much scrutiny as Jaylen Brown has in recent weeks. Tasked with stepping into a role as the focal point of Boston’s offense, the Atlanta native has struggled with the different approach his new role necessitates.
However, against the Suns, Brown found his swagger and looked capable of improving as the Celtics number 1 option, something he will no doubt be called on to do again whenever Jayson Tatum misses games. Yet, following a 24-point, 11-rebound night from Brown, the All-Star chose to praise his teammate to the media rather than focus on his struggles and growth.
“Rob is great, man. Rob is exceptional. I think he’s a really talented player. At times, I think he puts a lot of pressure on himself, similar to me in a sense. But when he comes out to play basketball, there’s not a lot of people who can contain him. On both ends, his effect on defense and offense tonight, everybody has seen it, so we need him to be as consistent as possible. I tell him all the time, ‘don’t be afraid to be great,’ I think Rob had a great night tonight and deserves all the praise he should get,” Brown said.
One of the key buzzwords surrounding Brown and Tatum is leadership. Everyone is focused on the All-Star duo’s ability to lead and galvanize their team and point to that as one of the biggest hurdles in their respective development. Yet, while neither Brown nor Tatum are from the same mold as Kevin Garnett, we’re starting to see their style of leadership develop.
And for Brown, taking time to praise your teammate after one of the best performances of his career, instead of focusing on yourself and the struggles you’ve faced, is a good indication of the leader he’s trying to become.
Celtics Twitter Reacts to Williams’ Performance
Celtics fans have known what their athletic center is capable of for some time, yet his passing has taken longer than expected to come to the forefront of his game for one reason or another. So, naturally, when Williams leaned into his playmaking skills, Celtics Twitter was a place of joy.
“Rob Williams just became the 9th player in NBA history to log a triple-double while shooting 100% from the field,” Celtics Reporter Taylor Snow wrote on Twitter.
“Ecstatic to see that they ran the offense through Rob Williams way more today, he’s a top 2 passer on the team,” @WCTsaint wrote.
After a disappointing loss to the Los Angeles Clippers on December 29, it was good to see the Celtics bounce back with a statement victory over the Suns. Hopefully, the team continues to run some of their offense through Williams moving forward, and if they do, this won’t be the last time you see the words “triple-double” associated with his name.
The Celtics are back in action on January 2, when they face off against the Orlando Magic.
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