Boston Celtics: 3 players who exceeded expectations in 2020-21 season

No. 2: Boston Celtics big man Robert Williams

It was a telling sign that Boston’s best defensive performance in their first round exit against the Nets came with Robert Williams anchoring down the paint.

Williams battled injuries for much of the season, but when he was on the court, he showed the potential to become a dynamic center for Boston on both ends of the court.

Williams started the season as the third big man in the Celtics rotation behind Daniel Theis and Tristan Thompson, and showed pretty quickly that he deserved starting minutes. Williams was scoring pretty much at will in the paint, as his threat as a roller in pick and roll situations was much higher than that of Theis or Thompson.

Defensively, Williams was easily Boston’s best rebounder when he was on the floor, and his shot blocking abilities would make opposing teams think twice before driving to the hoop against him.

It was clear Williams belonged in the starting lineup, and when Daniel Theis was traded away at the trade deadline, that opened up a spot in the starting lineup for Williams, which he grabbed and ran with.

Williams only scored seven points in his first start of the season, but he secured nine rebounds, dished out six assists, blocked five shots, and came away with two steals to help the Celtics steal a victory away from the high powered Milwaukee Bucks.

This game alone showed Williams potential to impact every aspect of the game for Boston when healthy. He’s progressed on both sides of the court, as he no longer is as easy to beat defensively, and his passing offensively helps keep the offense in flow when defense focus on his rolls to the rim.

Unfortunately, Williams picked up a number of different injuries towards the end of the season that derailed his progress, including a tough turf toe injury that hampered him even when he was on the floor.

Even while dealing with that, Williams managed to block nine shots in Game 1 against the Nets, and helped prevent Brooklyn from getting any easy baskets in the paint.

Injuries aside, Williams took a major leap this past season from Boston. He basically went from being one of the last guys in the rotation to a starting center in one season, and his per game averages all soared through the roof as a result. It only feels like Williams has just cracked the surface of his potential because of all the injuries he has dealt with during his first three seasons, but if he can stay healthy next season, the Celtics could find themselves back a top the Eastern Conference.