We’ve all seen the footage of Robert Williams understanding along with his expertise coach Aaron Miller in latest weeks. The movies which have circled social media have depicted a wholesome model of Williams, with the massive man specializing in mid-range leap capturing.
We’ve seen Williams peeling off screens, rolling arduous towards the nail, and easily slicing towards his spot. Health club exercises are sometimes fickle. These are NBA gamers we’re speaking about — they’re imagined to knock down pictures once they’re open. So, it’s arduous to gauge how a lot inventory we needs to be placing into the newest exercise movies, aside from it’s superior that Williams is lastly capable of maximize an low season moderately than utilizing it to get well from damage or surgical procedure.
There’s a cause to be enthusiastic about Williams engaged on his mid-range recreation, although. Below Joe Mazzulla, Boston’s huge 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. Nevertheless, 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.
Attributable to Mazzulla’s offensive ideas, Williams leaned on his passing expertise 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 suppose there’s alternative for Rob to increase out 2-to-3 ft with the brief rolls,” Aaron Miller instructed NBC Sports activities Boston’s Chris Forsberg throughout a latest interview. “Or perhaps once 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 instructed 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 trying on the objective…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 holding guys in entrance of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. A again lower from Al Horford is what finally gives 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 capturing means turns into adverse to Mazzulla’s offensive system. If a group has to account for the massive man being extra aggressive along with his personal shot, they’ll’t choose to sag off him, which in flip ensures there will likely be extra house for cutters and off-ball screening actions.
Robert Williams III within the health club.
Brad Stevens stated in the course of 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 trying 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 huge man obtain the rock in promising areas of the ground, just for him to redirect it moderately than face up and assault.
With a full low season to work on his middies, together with growing a floater recreation, Williams might elevate his offensive gravity in new methods. An essential facet to notice right here is that ought to Williams start flattening jumpers and floaters, he will likely 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 huge or a weakside helper within the roamer position he excelled in in the course of the 2021-22 season beneath Ime Udoka. When wholesome, Rob Williams is a ceiling raiser for the Celtics.
If Williams can add one other dimension to his offensive recreation and lighten the load on his knees and again due to it, the Celtics might have one in every of their most impactful gamers out there all through the season. Williams’ major skillset will at all times imply he’s seen as a dunker, rim-runner, and lob menace.
Nevertheless, evolution is what extends a profession, and for a participant along with his damage historical past, discovering new methods to be efficient now may very well be what retains him within the league later.
