X’s and O’s Week: lob actions to Robert Williams

Ah, the pick-and-roll. The simplest, most straightforward play in basketball can also be one among its most interesting. It’s an incredible tactic that’s proved itself time-and-time once more. The true mastermind of the pick-and-roll is a participant that not solely can run it successfully, but additionally use their gravity and athleticism to their benefit. And for the Boston Celtics, the enjoyable begins with Robert Williams, the staff’s bouncy, defensive anchor.

Head coach Ime Udoka buys into the hype, identical to all of us. That is demonstrated by Udoka’s willingness to make use of Williams as a lob risk on the primary possession of every sport. What makes Williams so particular is how shortly he can get to the basket. His lengthy strides and quickness for the place get him to the rim in a couple of steps after setting the display. As soon as he’s within the air, it’s over for the protection.

Williams’s function as a rim-runner is extremely useful for the Celtics offense. Oftentimes, in the beginning of video games, Boston sometimes locations him because the roll man. This ends in the protection collapsing in opposition to Williams, and it opens up the ground for the staff’s shooters and perimeter gamers. Nonetheless, Williams has grown on this function as nicely, as he’s gotten extra inventive and experimental in all these conditions.

Have a look at Williams serving as a display curler attracts consideration from the protection. Williams leaves the handoff for Good as setting the display. Watch Joel Embiid — that slight step in direction of Williams as he rolls to the basket leaves Al Horford huge open up high for the open 3-pointer.

It’s the whole design of the play — it’s constructed across the consideration Williams attracts because the roll man. There’s much more to this possession, nevertheless. If both Seth Curry or Danny Inexperienced rushes to Horford, there’s at all times the potential of a swing to Jayson Tatum or Jaylen Brown.

Williams additionally doesn’t waste time with this possession, he drives straight to hoop shortly. As a substitute of methodically getting there or looping round, Williams goes proper for Embiid which pulls each Embiid and Tyrese Maxey. Due to this fact, no one is left on the high of the perimeter to protect Horford.

You possibly can nearly assure Williams goes to grab and throw down a lob as soon as a sport. He’s nice at strolling up the courtroom, and catching the protection sleeping and enjoying flat-footed. And, due to his athleticism, he’s in a position to catch the ball from virtually wherever along with his huge catch radius.

Williams is nice for a pair alley-oops, dump-offs, and putback slams an evening when the protection is targeted on Tatum or Brown. The following step for Williams is creating as an off-the-dribble creator. He’s already demonstrated his development as a passer, and he’s flashed some post-up and self-creation stuff, however there’s nonetheless work to be carried out.

Regardless, Williams as a lob risk and safety blanket when possessions break down is one thing that’s extremely precious within the fashionable sport. He’ll look to proceed that development and improvement because the Celtics try to take the following step as a championship-winning staff.