Boston Celtics: 3 regular season goals for Robert Williams in 2018-19

Robert Williams needs to stay focused on and off the court

Williams has already had more than his fair share of off-court gaffes. Back at Texas A&M, he was suspended to start his sophomore season for a violation of university policy. As a Celtic, he was late for a conference call, missed a flight, and has lost his wallet multiple times already.

Your instinct is to say, “oh come on, he’s a kid and he’s made some gaffes, this is an overreaction.” And you’re right; these are less harmful off-court behavior than they are meme fodder. But he does have a bit of a pattern that should be concerning for a fanbase that values hard work and dedication as much as Celtics Nation. Multiple reports suggest he’s been hard-working and focused since those gaffes, which is encouraging.

We’ve already talked about the on-court focus, but it’s worth diving deeper into. Scouting reports suggest that Williams has long periods of tentativeness on both sides of the ball. He forgets to box out, loses focus when defending off the ball, and coasts for stretches on offense. One minute he’s yelling (he’s a very vocal player), coming out of nowhere for blocks, and dominating the glass; the next, he’s just not making an impact. He’s been described as fearless and ruthlessly competitive on some nights, and passive on others.

He also has to clean up some parts of his game. He is a surprisingly adept passer on short rolls to the basket, something he’s already displayed a couple of times for the Celtics. If he’s rolling to the hoop and you cut, Williams has the ability to find you, even to lob it to you for an alley-oop. That’s a nice skill for your big man to have, but he also had a penchant for lazy passes and unforced turnovers in college. That will have to change.

On the defensive end, it’ll be all about staying focused when his guy doesn’t have the ball. He’s a late bloomer, and his defensive instincts are still a work in progress. His athleticism erased a lot of sins in college; the challenge at the next level will be bringing his fundamentals up to the level his body is at. Having Al Horford and Aron Baynes to teach him how to play NBA defense is a nice luxury.

Brad Stevens runs a system that figures to keep him more involved. Robert Williams was so often just used to space the floor at Texas A&M, something that should never happen in Boston. So far, he’s looked very comfortable in his Capela-esque role. He’s a frequent and energetic screen setter, and he seems to like initiating dribble handoffs. The Warriors don’t have great chemistry because everyone’s shooting a lot; it’s all about participation. Everyone is involved on every play.

Meanwhile, he’s already received praise for his defensive impact. It’s not just the 4 blocks in 40 minutes, as great as that is. He’s also just done a great job contesting his man, being disruptive, and being in the right place as a rim protector. He gets around the floor with speed and grace.

So, long story short: to be effective this year, Robert Williams has to embrace the pick and roll game, make the most of his athletic gifts on the defensive end, and stay focused on and off the court. If he can do those things, he’ll be an asset for the Boston Celtics.