The Time Lord: Welcome Robert Williams!

[Celtics_History_Lesson]

August 2017:

Williams is one of only two returnees that are projected to go in the top 10 with Michigan State sophomore forward Miles Bridges being the other one at No. 6 overall.

February 2017:

1. Boston Celtics (via Nets): Markelle Fultz (Washington, PG, Freshman)

2. Phoenix Suns: Lonzo Ball (UCLA, PG, Freshman)

3. Los Angeles Lakers: Josh Jackson (Kansas, SG/SF, Freshman)

4. Orlando Magic: Jayson Tatum (Duke, SF, Freshman)

5. Philadelphia 76ers: Malik Monk (Kentucky, SG, Freshman)

6. Minnesota Timberwolves: Jonathan Isaac (Florida State, SF/PF, Freshman)

7. Dallas Mavericks: Dennis Smith Jr. (North Carolina State, PG, Freshman)

8. New York Knicks: Frank Ntilikina (France, PG/SG, 1998)

9. Sacramento Kings (via Pelicans): De'Aaron Fox (Kentucky, PG, Freshman)

10. Portland Trail Blazers: Lauri Markkanen (Arizona, PF/C, Freshman)


11. Chicago Bulls (via Kings): Robert Williams (Texas A&M, PF, Freshman)

December 2017:

"A young Antonio McDyess, if you will, is what I like to compare him to," Smith said.

September 2017:

An Entirely Premature 2018 NBA Lottery Mock Draft

8. Philadelphia 76ers (via Lakers): Robert Williams
Forward, Texas A&M, sophomore (6-foot-9, 237 pounds, 19 years old)

Have seen McDyess play, and for rebounding and blocks and size that is a good comparison.

As you can see, for a year or two everyone has been saying Williams was someone to go around pick 10 or 12, in this draft or the previous one.



A pick that had to be made.

His slide started at pick 13.

He started sliding more quickly at pick 15.

A lot was position? Nearly everyone was a small forward or shooting guard, plus a point guard. Nobody wanted height, shot blocking.

Lakers need outside shooting, to spread the floor for LeBron and LeGeorge. Wagner fits.


Celtics need paint help, dunks, blocks, and more blocks. On a team that has so many who want shoot, including a bunch who shouldn't, if Williams just dunks and defends for 5 or 10 minutes and is a good teammate on the bench then it was a swell pick.

[ParticleMan]

He’s a true visionary

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they would have but the kid who played porky fell off the edge of the earth. tragic, really.

[truth18]

An Aggie?

LETS **** GO.

[bucknersrevenge]

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[Spin Move]

He is a potential future starter, at 27 that is great, I am interested in the analysis between him and Robinson but Willaims can reboundand block shots, we need those things badly. He is a developmental guy, think of Perk's timeline maybe plus a year. He is somoene who with some time and effort be a good starter, I am curious as to why he fell, he was projected top 15 and at worst top 20 to almost everyone.

He fell because in this day and age, NBA teams value 3 point shooting from their bigs. But ignore he works hard, he can be a Clint Capella type.

There is no reason in 3 or 4 years he can't learn to shoot the three, a little, Horford never shot the 3 when he was younger, Baynes never did going into the playoffs, it can be learned, a 7'5 wingpsan on a nice frame with above average foot speed for a big cannot.

[Valid]

The entire board seems to be in agreement that this is a good pick. Either Williams will be an absolute stud or this is a sign of the apocalypse.

[ConstableGeneva]

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Already by 2nd most favorite center named Robert in Celtics history.

[Leprechaun18]

More banners are otw. I really liked his **** the lakers tweet best.

[flintsky21]

More banners are otw. I really liked his **** the lakers tweet best.

Can't wait for Williams-Embiid tweet wars.

[return2glory]

He is a potential future starter, at 27 that is great, I am interested in the analysis between him and Robinson but Willaims can reboundand block shots, we need those things badly. He is a developmental guy, think of Perk's timeline maybe plus a year. He is somoene who with some time and effort be a good starter, I am curious as to why he fell, he was projected top 15 and at worst top 20 to almost everyone.

He fell because in this day and age, NBA teams value 3 point shooting from their bigs. But ignore he works hard, he can be a Clint Capella type.

There is no reason in 3 or 4 years he can't learn to shoot the three, a little, Horford never shot the 3 when he was younger, Baynes never did going into the playoffs, it can be learned, a 7'5 wingpsan on a nice frame with above average foot speed for a big cannot.

Horford was a lot better shooter from the line. This guy is Deandre Jordan bad when it comes to shooting. There is a reason guys like Jordan and Dwight Howard still don’t shoot 3s.

Anything is possible but 43% shooting from the line is not a very good sign.

Still, this is a very exciting pick at 27. Lots to like.

[Spin Move]

He fell because in this day and age, NBA teams value 3 point shooting from their bigs. But ignore he works hard, he can be a Clint Capella type.

There is no reason in 3 or 4 years he can't learn to shoot the three, a little, Horford never shot the 3 when he was younger, Baynes never did going into the playoffs, it can be learned, a 7'5 wingpsan on a nice frame with above average foot speed for a big cannot.

Horford was a lot better shooter from the line. This guy is Deandre Jordan bad when it comes to shooting. There is a reason guys like Jordan and Dwight Howard still don’t shoot 3s.

Anything is possible but 43% shooting from the line is not a very good sign.

Still, this is a very exciting pick at 27. Lots to like.

Your right, if you cant make 50% from the FT line your odds of becoming a good 3 point shooter is small, but give it some time, maybe with better coaching but you are right, not super likely.

[GuyClinch]

Good pick. Don't like can't shoot guys in general but center is the spot to put them on. We should be less offensively challenged next year so this guy could get minutes.

[TheSheriff]

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[ConstableGeneva]

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Already by 2nd most favorite center named Robert in Celtics history.

Pretty cool that both Roberts were born in Shreveport, Louisiana, per wikipedia.

[bucknersrevenge]

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[Jingles]

I'm talking about height, If I meant his height + wingspan I would have said short.

You thinking he's going to have a size problem at all shows you're not aware that wingspan and athleticism is far more important than whether he's 6-9 or 7 feet.

If he has any problems in the NBA, it won't be based on his height.

I didn't say anything about that, I'm totally aware of it. Standing reach and athleticism is the most important thing, but it was just a note.
Ainge looks like he is searching the new draymond or something like that, the real problem is that those 2 were lazy and williams is considered one too, that was the line of my comment.

It's okay to admit you don't know what you're talking about. Admirable, even.

[Gant]

Ainge says they had Williams ranked much higher.

They tried to trade up to get him.

He's a very good passer.

[Parasite]

So let me get this straight. Instead of trading some prime assets to move to number 6 and take Bamba, we keep them and draft Williams at 27, who very realistically could be just as good as Bamba at what we need him for. Namely interior defense, shot blocking and rim running. Amazing. Just amazing.

[Jingles]

Good pick. Don't like can't shoot guys in general but center is the spot to put them on. We should be less offensively challenged next year so this guy could get minutes.

We've been sniffing around this kind of player for awhile, without wanting to commit too many resources toward acquiring one, whether it be Noel or WCS, both of whom we've been linked to in the past. Nice to grab one by standing pat at 27. Good situation for us and him, and if he develops on the higher end of his possible outcomes this becomes real good value. Even in a pace and space O there can be room for a rim runner/lob guy as long as he's mobile and maybe can pass a bit, and Williams fits the bill.

Have to admit the consensus praise for the pick is an odd feeling.

[peachbucket]

Found this nice write up on potential draft steals...

Robert Williams | Texas A&M | C | Age: 20.5
There's no greater collegiate casualty in the draft than Williams. While he hasn't done himself any favors with his up-and-down motor, combine no-show and the fact that he's already on his second agent, A&M also robbed him of opportunities to play to his strengths.

1. Played PF not C, with no spacing

College basketball and the NBA look like two different sports at times, and A&M was a perfect example of that with two non-floor-spacing centers in Williams and Tyler Davis playing next to each other and a prototype stretch-4 in DJ Hogg at the 3. Williams played almost exclusively power forward -- a rare position for him at the NBA level.

There's one stat in particular that tells the story of how Williams wasn't used appropriately. At 6-foot-10 with a massive catch radius, elite agility and explosive leaping ability, Williams was used in only 16 pick-and-roll possessions in 30 games, according to Synergy Sports Technology. Sixteen. That's just over one pick-and-roll possession every two games, and he rolled on only nine possessions all year. Nine rolling possessions in 30 games for the draft's best lob-catcher who finished a ridiculous 73.7 percent of his shots at the rim.

Why so few pick-and-roll opportunities? With Davis camped out in the paint and at times only one other shooter on the floor, there was no room for Williams to roll when A&M did decide to put him in ball screens. Williams didn't always screen or dive as hard as he could, but part of that is a function of him knowing it was unlikely he'd have an open lane or an accurate lob thrown his way.


The Aggies used Williams as a high-low passer or stuck him in the short corner, giving the still-raw center little opportunity to use his freakish tools. Playing him at the 4 on defense also put him out of position to protect the rim at times. Although he's the best jump-shot swatter in the draft, he didn't quite learn the ins and outs of team defense at the center spot in two years at the collegiate level.


Where does Williams see himself positionally?

"Honestly wherever I'll make money is where I see myself," Williams told ESPN during the NCAA tournament. That will certainly be at center, in the Clint Capela mold.

2. Poor guard play

"I feel like I'll do well in the NBA because you got elite passers," Williams said. "You got guys like James Harden -- great passers."

Williams didn't have that with the Aggies, as A&M's guard play was uninspiring, to put it nicely. Far too many possessions looked like this:


Eventual starting point guard TJ Starks finished the season with 72 assists and 85 turnovers, regularly breaking free of the offense to create his own. With nowhere to roll and no one to throw him lobs, Williams floated, which bled over to other aspects of his game.

"It's just all effort, man, and that's honestly what I've been trying to improve on," Williams said. "This postseason my teammates have just been telling me I've got to keep my effort up, no [slacking]. I just try to keep that up and lead them."

Over the last five games of the season -- including three in the NCAA tournament -- Williams gave scouts a glimpse of what he can be at the NBA level, as he averaged 15.2 rebounds and 4.8 blocks per 40 minutes, all while playing out of position.


How will it change in the NBA?

Situation will be key for Williams, who needs to be in a structured environment with strong vets to live up to his sky-high potential. But even outside of that, any NBA coach with a modern outlook figures to see Williams' value as a rim runner, lob catcher, switch defender, rim protector and rebounder.

It will help to feed Williams a few lob attempts per game to keep him engaged on the defensive end of the floor, where he has the potential to be elite. Williams also has quite a bit of untapped potential as a passer, which could manifest itself in short roll situations when surrounded by shooters. While not every big man projected in the lottery fits where the NBA is headed, Williams is the ideal type of modern center that shines when surrounded by shooters and quick decision makers. He is loaded with tools and natural talent, and a playoff team with a winning culture would be smart to jump into the back end of the lottery to steal the center, who is without a doubt a top-10 talent.