Boston Celtics have a ‘lottery level talent’ in big man Robert Williams
By Gio Rivera
Did we just witness Danny Ainge pull off a draft steal? Boston Celtics select Texas A&M Center, Robert Williams with their 27th overall selection.
The Boston Celtics entered the 2018 NBA Draft with rumors swirling. Would they trade into the lottery or would they stand pat at No. 27. What Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge would do left fans on the edge of their seats.
Because of this, it was unknown who Boston was going with entering the night, but there were a few players on the Celtics draft board if they staid put at No. 27.
Two who stood out was Duke’s Grayson Allen and Villanova’s Donte DiVincenzo, a pair of sharpshooters who rely on the three-point for their premier source of offense. Allen finished his stint at Duke, shooting 38 percent from three. DiVincenzo finished his Villanova career as a 37.8 percent shooter from three.
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However, with those two players off the board, Danny Ainge and Boston’s scouting crew addressed a need the Celtics have been in search of for years: an athletic big man who can rebound and protect the rim.
Last season, Boston ranked 14th in rebound% at 50.3. Their leading rebounder, Al Horford only totaled 7.4 per game. Not Horford’s strong suit by any means.
With the 27th overall selection, the Boston Celtics selected Texas A&M big man Robert Williams III. A player who’s been described as a potential “steal” for Boston, Williams will have a chance to prove his talent and grow under the direction of Brad Stevens.
After the selection Ainge stated, “I think that there are parts of his game that are untapped”.
What better head coach to help display and develop that talent? We’ve seen Stevens impact the weaknesses of past players under his coaching.
Take Jaylen Brown for example. A prime concern for him was is 3-point shooting ability coming into his draft night. Last season Brown was Boston’s third best shooter from beyond the arc, finishing over 39 percent from three.
Upside to Robert Williams
Last season at Texas A&M Williams finished averaging 10.4 points with 9.2 rebounds and 2.6 blocks. He also shot over 63 percent from the field and has drawn comparisons to Houston Rockets big man Clint Capela. He is also regarded as one of the best defenders in the nation for college basketball.
Williams stands at 6-foot-9 with a 7-foot-5.5 inch wingspan and weighs 240 pounds. The tools are there for Boston to do their part in excelling that inner potential. Just imagine how deadly Boston’s mix could be with him on the front court and defensive end. A defense that 4th among league leaders last season.
Downside to Robert Williams
Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN described Williams as a “lottery-level talent”. So why does a big man with dominant potential fall so low in the first round? Work ethic. The main concern around the league with Williams is his demeanor.
Teams feared whether or not they’d manage to maximize his potential under their system. Yet, with Daniel Theis showing signs of promise last season, Williams is going to have to change that in order to earn his minutes on the floor.
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Overall, Danny Ainge and the Boston Celtics could certainly have landed themselves a gem in this draft. Robert Williams is a selection that fans should certainly be excited for come the start of next season.