BOSTON — Robert Williams III was dribbling towards Jayson Tatum when he rapidly surprised the Raptors by hooking a go over his shoulder. Sam Hauser — “Tax Man” in accordance with Williams III — caught the ball reducing again door on O.G. Anunoby, large open for one among Williams III’s two assists within the win.
The slick go was a part of a rising confidence from Williams and extra so, his teammates and training employees, that he can do extra heading into the playoffs.
That facet of Williams’ recreation had noticeably ramped down since his return from a second knee surgical procedure in a single 12 months. His assists dropped practically in half. The sight of him firing passes out of the excessive publish as soon as made Celtics followers dream of a participant impactful past the blocks and lobs that powered Boston runs. Unlocking extra of Williams III’s offense might legitimately make him a top-shelf NBA participant.
Williams III, as a substitute, lengthy felt content material to play a complementary function within the Celtics’ success. Teammates solely requested for the very best of what he already supplied: rolling dunks, rim safety and put backs. Nonetheless, Joe Mazzulla grew to become the primary to ask for extra from Williams III when he does take the ground. He heard Mazzulla yell as he lined up Pascal Siakam one-on-one within the third quarter late within the shot clock: “Rating the f***ing ball.”
“There are occasions the place we’re gonna want these dump-off factors, me sealing and getting a dunk,” Williams stated. “It simply reassures me that we’re gonna want these issues.”
The Celtics obtained eight factors, 9 rebounds, two steals and three blocks together with Williams III’s pair of feeds for scores in an prolonged 25-minute run. Mazzulla instructed NBC Sports activities Boston pre-game that Boston would settle for Williams III’s highest-level play over quick stretches approaching the playoffs, the technique since he returned from an eight-game absence with a hamstring harm he’d by no means suffered earlier than. It led to his greatest play but.
“These final two video games, I noticed a distinct Rob on the offensive finish,” Mazzulla stated.
“He did a terrific job ducking in on cross-matches and that’s the little stuff he has to carry. His intentionality on offense, we want him to be concerned, as a result of he has the power to display screen and get guys open. Relying on how they’re guarding him, in the event that they’re going to modify, now we have to have the ability to punish that with him and our guys really feel snug throwing it to him versus smaller guys. He simply must be dynamic on the offensive finish. It’s one thing he works at.”
The temptation is to play their dazzling heart extra, however harm historical past at all times appears like the important thing distinction between the Celtics rising as a lower above the league and standing amongst a number of different contenders.
As a way to mitigate a few of these issues, Mazzulla has diversified his staff’s method. Boston gained 6-of-7 video games Williams III appeared in coming into the playoffs, however the staff additionally thrived by a 21-5 begin whereas he recovered from surgical procedure.
The Celtics have shifted from their overwhelming dimension a 12 months in the past to an offensive mindset the place screening, taking pictures and spacing grew to become the main target. When Williams III returned, he felt the distinction in tempo and positioning offensively.
“Lacking a bunch of video games firstly of the 12 months was not superb,” Brad Stevens stated in his end-of-season state of the union. “It did drive us to morph right into a staff that may do different issues and provides us a distinct approach of taking part in, so there was some benefit to that, after which he’s come again and performed nicely, and I’m actually inspired that he performed the minutes he performed during the last couple of video games.”
Whereas Mazzulla didn’t decide to any lineup or rotation for the playoffs, a +12.2 internet ranking for White’s beginning unit vs. -12.4 for Williams III’s ought to sign to the Celtics that they need to stick to what they did to shut the season. Final 12 months’s starters didn’t have sufficient time to gel, and staggering him with Al Horford limits what number of minutes the remainder of the facilities must contribute. It additionally greatest units up Williams III to shut some video games.
Malcolm Brogdon, Williams III and whichever extra ahead steps up might produce devastating bench runs, however Mazzulla’s name for extra from the massive man when he does play function a reminder of how Williams III’s harm damage himself and the staff probably the most. He took steps again this season by way of exercise offensively and the summer time didn’t enable for growth. So, Williams leaned into extra of the identical.
“I really feel like totally different matchups and taking part in in opposition to totally different groups calls for various performs,” Williams III stated. “We play quite a bit sooner this 12 months. The function I’ve to play is getting these guys pictures, rebounding, set screens, getting them open, which is a task I like to play, however such as you stated, totally different matchups, totally different groups and hopefully we’ll see just a few extra lob performs.”
After simply 35 common season video games this 12 months, it could possibly be too late to include extra of Williams III’s recreation into Boston’s offense. However after seeing the Celtics prioritize getting Williams III the ball early and sometimes in opposition to Toronto, it proved encouraging sufficient that perhaps there’s nonetheless one other gear he might hit within the playoffs.
Tatum hit him for a rolling end lower than two minutes into Friday’s recreation. Horford led him in transition after a second quarter cease, hitting him with Will Barton in his approach realizing the larger Williams III might rating by him. Later, Derrick White tossed an alley-oop that Williams III tapped in off glass whereas Jakob Poetl fouled him.
“I need to see him catch it within the paint, be capable to take a dribble and end with contact,” Mazzulla stated. “It’s in all probability on me simply as a lot as anyone else, he has the tendency to be passive on the offensive finish.”
“(I’m) screaming on the prime of my lungs,” he added on how he tries to get Rob the ball. “I did that tonight.”
After Quin Snyder lamented the Hawks getting caught in cross-matches in opposition to Miami within the play-in recreation, the Celtics will certainly make discovering Williams III on the break a part of their plan.
Williams III can get by with a novel mixture of athleticism and really feel for the sport. Horford lauded Williams III’s maturity, so he doesn’t really feel the necessity to say a lot to him, however Horford does sometimes remind Williams III to remain aggressive. Mazzulla doesn’t need him taking bounce pictures, so these should wait. They could not even must enter the image for him to succeed in his full type. That’ll come from him discovering an aggressive method, turning into a menace, which opens up his favourite play — the go.
“I like to go the ball, I do know my job for certain,” Williams III instructed CelticsBlog/CLNS Media. “I really like passing, man, I suppose I can say that, however there are occasions the place we do these want these simple two seals and two dunks a recreation to take stress off our scorers.”
