Boston Celtics center Robert Williams III has missed over half the regular season due to various injuries, and as a result, his playing time has dropped a bit. Yet, the big man is more concerned about doing whatever it takes to win.
“The role that I have to play is getting [my teammates] shots, rebounding, set screens and getting them open, which is a role I love to play,” Williams said per Jared Weiss of The Athletic. “I'm OK with winning. That's all I worry about.”
After taking multiple months to recover from a knee procedure, Williams was eased back into the lineup in December. He later missed even more time because of a hamstring injury, which has made Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla relatively cautious about overworking the 25-year-old. With that injury history in mind, it's no surprise that Williams' average of 29.6 minutes per game last year is down to 23.2 minutes per outing in the 2022-23 season.
In spite of the minutes decrease, “Time Lord” is still making a significant impact for the C's. Most recently, he notched seven points, seven rebounds, and four blocks in Boston's 140-99 blowout win over the top-seeded Milwaukee Bucks. Williams did all that in just 19 minutes, as he provided the Celtics with several great defensive plays off the bench:
Giannis thought he had a wide-open dunk and Rob just noped him pic.twitter.com/TG2n8gpJqL
— Taylor Snow (@taylorcsnow) March 31, 2023
Williams' importance to the Green Team is no secret either. Celtics star Jaylen Brown called him the “key” to their success, and Hall of Famer Reggie Miller was in awe of his prowess during a TNT broadcast of Bucks-Celtics.
"He's everywhere!"
the Rob Williams' impact is real pic.twitter.com/BOTaMOUffT
— Celtics on NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSCeltics) March 31, 2023
How the Celtics monitor Robert Williams III's health will continue to be crucial as the regular season winds down. The NBA All-Defensive Second Teamer rested during Boston's most recent victory over the Utah Jazz on Friday night.
But, since Mazzulla doesn't want to be complacent in the final games of the season, he could very well have a starring role in their next few games.
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