The Boston Celtics' first-round pick in Robert Williams III is off to a rough start with the team. After dropping in the draft due to concerns about his work ethic, he's done nothing to silence the critics.
Most recently he missed a flight to Boston and subsequently missed team practices for summer league games. According to A. Sherrod Blakely of NBC Sports Boston, Williams is on thin ice with head coach Brad Stevens. Williams told Blakely:
“I talked to coach (Brad) Stevens when I got back,” Williams said. “He obviously explained to me about the opportunities; it’s not that many. It’s definitely a wake-up call.”
Williams' tenure in Boston is off to a rough start. The Celtics advanced to the seventh game of the Eastern Conference Finals in 2018 due to the players' willingness to buy into a team concept. Williams must learn to do this as well if he hopes to fit in with his new club.
But according to Blakely, Williams is trying to atone for his mistakes. He told Blakely:
“People already have a bad image of me,” he said. “Missing my flight didn't help that at all.”
The good news for Williams is that it's only July. No team, not even Stevens' Celtics, would be crazy enough to cut their first-round pick before the season started.
He'll have a longer leash than most rookies, but there's no doubt that he'll need to change his ways if he plans on being in Boston long-term.
The Texas A&M product's NBA career is off to a rough start, but this could all be a distant memory if he changes his ways.
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