We’ve all seen the footage of Robert Williams figuring out along with his abilities coach Aaron Miller in current weeks. The movies which have circled social media have depicted a wholesome model of Williams, with the large man specializing in mid-range leap taking pictures.
We’ve seen Williams peeling off screens, rolling laborious towards the nail, and easily reducing towards his spot. Health club exercises are sometimes fickle. These are NBA gamers we’re speaking about — they’re alleged to knock down pictures after they’re open. So, it’s laborious to gauge how a lot inventory we ought to be placing into the newest exercise movies, apart from it’s superior that Williams is lastly capable of maximize an low season quite than utilizing it to recuperate from harm or surgical procedure.
There’s a purpose to be enthusiastic about Williams engaged on his mid-range sport, although. Below Joe Mazzulla, Boston’s massive males are sometimes tasked with engaged on the perimeter as a part of a five-out system. That model of play is okay for Al Horford, and Kristaps Porzingis may have no points adapting, both. Nonetheless, Williams isn’t a fringe scorer. As an alternative, Williams does his work inside 4 ft of the rim, primarily as a roll man or lob menace.
As a consequence of Mazzulla’s offensive ideas, Williams leaned on his passing abilities final season, as that allowed him to stay a menace when working in short-roll actions.
“With as a lot consideration as Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum get in handoffs and pick-and-roll actions, I do assume there may be alternative for Rob to develop out 2-to-3 ft with the brief rolls,” Aaron Miller told NBC Sports Boston’s Chris Forsberg during a recent interview. “Or possibly after they’re getting double-teamed to place it on the bottom, discover an open teammate within the nook.”
We additionally noticed Williams run pick-and-pop actions, which additionally relied on him making high-level passing reads to arrange his teammates.
After which, there was some low-post facilitation.
However what if Williams might additionally present some scoring in a few of these possessions? By having a dependable mid-range jumper, defenses wouldn’t be capable to assist off Williams as they try and shut down the passing lanes.
“[Jayson Tatum is] mad at Rob when he isn’t taking pictures,” Miller informed NBC Sports activities Boston’s Chris Forsberg. “And he’s mad at Rob — not mad, however holding him accountable — when he isn’t taking pictures and when he isn’t being a menace or wanting on the aim…As a result of, like I stated, it’ll open up different alternatives for [Tatum and Brown].”
When watching the above clip, observe how deep the Golden State Warriors‘ protection drops. Draymond Inexperienced is nearer to the restricted space than he’s to Williams. There’s no worry that Williams might take a few dribbles and stream right into a jumper. As such, Golden State focuses on taking away passing lanes and maintaining guys in entrance of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. A again minimize from Al Horford is what ultimately offers Williams with a passing angle; he hits a high-low entry excessive of the protection — a dangerous transfer.
It’s possessions comparable to this the place Williams restricted taking pictures capacity turns into destructive to Mazzulla’s offensive system. If a crew has to account for the large man being extra aggressive along with his personal shot, they’ll’t choose to sag off him, which in flip ensures there will probably be extra area for cutters and off-ball screening actions.
Robert Williams III within the fitness center.
Brad Stevens stated throughout the Celtics’ contest on ESPN final night time that that is the healthiest summer time Timelord has had in a very long time. Boston is wanting ahead to Rob constructing off of these nice spirits. pic.twitter.com/x9GtwURtf1
— Rob Greene (@RobGreeneNBA) July 13, 2023
Williams might additionally make a huge impact as a possible jump-shooter on the inside. Final season, we noticed the bouncy massive man obtain the rock in promising areas of the ground, just for him to redirect it quite than face up and assault.
With a full low season to work on his middies, together with growing a floater sport, Williams might elevate his offensive gravity in new methods. An necessary facet to notice right here is that ought to Williams start pulling down jumpers and floaters, he will probably be placing much less stress on his physique. Dunking is an explosive motion, together with the affect of touchdown again onto the court docket. For a participant who has handled knee and again points throughout his younger profession, limiting his physique’s publicity to constant explosive actions may very well be key in sustaining availability all through the common season.
Moreover, if Williams is exploding much less on offense, he may have extra within the tank to guard the rim, both as a dropping massive or a weakside helper within the roamer position he excelled in throughout the 2021-22 season underneath Ime Udoka. When wholesome, Rob Williams is a ceiling raiser for the Celtics.
If Williams can add one other dimension to his offensive sport and lighten the load on his knees and again due to it, the Celtics might have certainly one of their most impactful gamers out there all through the season. Williams’ major skillset will at all times imply he’s considered as a dunker, rim-runner, and lob menace.
Nonetheless, evolution is what extends a profession, and for a participant along with his harm historical past, discovering new methods to be efficient now may very well be what retains him within the league later.
