The Time Lord: Welcome Robert Williams!

[Fencer reregistered]

That time zone **** is tricky. Been there myself

Hard for someone in the central time zone to be late for a call with the east.

Fair point. I often have calls with peeps from AK to the east coast, 5 time zones involved. It can be tricky, but with a one hour difference I suppose one should be able to get that straight.

Lots of people just tell you the time of a call and assume it will be in their time zone without making that explicit. I double check time zones all the time when setting up phone calls.

[Bill Lumbergh]

I just want this guy to be pushing Embiid's shot in on the regular.

[rochrist]

Well, I'm probably the only Celtics fan who didn't like the pick. I'm aware that of the remaining players on the board he had the most "value", but I believe there's a reason he fell to 27. His BBIQ (right now) is lower than any of the other 59 draft picks, he doesn't seem to have any passion for the game, and his offensive game is painful to watch. His body measurements are great, but thats about the only positive I see in him. My guess is he's out of the league by the end of his rookie contract.

BTW I would've been down on many other possible picks Ainge could've made at 27. Most players drafted after the first 20 don't get to contribute in the NBA for long. My main point is I don't see the potential of a rotation player (you all see) in him, which is legitimate for a 27th pick.

Who would you have drafted?

What exactly are you basing his 'BBIQ' on? Because to me, he seems to have quite a lot of it. He understands defense, he understands and can play the pick and roll game. What exactly have you seen that has a guy with such tremendous upside out of the league by the end of his rookie contract?

[Curmudgeon]

Oh I think Williams can be a valuable rotation player. Will he be? It's up to him. One thing I like most about the pick is that it incentivizes Ainge to keep Smart. He could have drafted a Smart replacement like Jacob Evans, but he didn't. I think Smart is vital for tangible as well as intangible reasons. When he's on the floor, everyone plays harder. Another plus is that if forces Yabusele either to get serious about the game or go back to Europe. Yabu is a nice guy, but nice guys usually finish last.

[Baller1234a]

Last Years Rewiew

Though it sometimes came at the cost of him over-helping or selling out biting on shot fakes, he averaged 3.8 blocks per 40 minutes last season [3] and was probably the biggest reason why opponents shot just 55.9% at the rim against Texas A&M [4].

Just what we need.

But the biggest concern about his defense regards his lack of physicality. Williams plays post defense with active hands trying to generate strips [5] but more often than not can’t hold his ground, which is also a problem in the defensive glass, as he struggles with his boxouts, collecting just 21.2% of opponents’ misses when he was on the floor last season.

8% improvement in this while playing with another big is a very good sign imo.

In sporadic moments, Williams flashed a catch-and-shoot three-pointer out of the pick-and-pop, a face-up jumper from the mid-post, a catch-and-shoot three-pointer spotting up in the corner and even a fluid stop-and-pop one-dribble pull-up off an isolation move.

Williams is a very appealing prospect because he might be the unicorn teams are looking for to play center these days; someone who can space the floor out to the three-point line on offense and protect the rim on defense.

Can someone explain this? I thought he was a terrible shooter?

https://basketball.realgm.com/article/247540/Prospect-Report-Robert-Williams-III-Of-Texas-AM

Well, the review to which you linked also states: "He missed 38 of the 47 jumpers he attempted, including 16 of his 18 three-point shots. The touch on his shot is pretty good but he has a methodical release and launches the ball from a low point. The fact he converted just 59% of his 100 free throws also casts doubt into just how real that jumper can really become."

It's pretty easy to shot 60% when everything is a dunk. If that's the case, you should be shooting 99%.

Agreed. He wasn’t productive with his jumper. However this article clearly states he has potential on his jumper. I was just wondering if he could eventually become a good jump shoooter.

[Curmudgeon]

Robert Williams is a bigger version of the Manimal when he plays hard. Guys who can get 20-25 rebounds a game are valuable even if they don't shoot a single jumper.

[SMTBSI]

Robert Williams is a bigger version of the Manimal when he plays hard. Guys who can get 20-25 rebounds a game are valuable even if they don't shoot a single jumper.

Hope you're right. I'd take the Manimal on a 27th pick's salary for sure. Though Faried is considered a below-average defender, isn't he?

[Dogen]

Posted yet?

Read on Twitter

While we all joke about it, I'm actually bothered by all these flat-earth claims in what is already a conspiracy-theorist science-skeptical era. I don't think the guys making them appreciate the gravity of the situation.

“Gravity of the Situation” regarding conspiracy theories....

Clearly I’m missing something here.

Anyway, onto Bobby Williams and his career with the C’s

I think the point being made is that Williams, being a dedicated Flat Earth theorist, would understand that the "law of gravity" is part of the global deception. Volume and density are all that are required the explain the physics, similar in essence to how a round ball appears to fall through a flat hoop, but sometimes bounces off to the side instead, creating rebound opportunities.

[Fencer reregistered]

While we all joke about it, I'm actually bothered by all these flat-earth claims in what is already a conspiracy-theorist science-skeptical era. I don't think the guys making them appreciate the gravity of the situation.

“Gravity of the Situation” regarding conspiracy theories....

Clearly I’m missing something here.

Anyway, onto Bobby Williams and his career with the C’s

I think the point being made is that Williams, being a dedicated Flat Earth theorist, would understand that the "law of gravity" is part of the global deception. Volume and density are all that are required the explain the physics, similar in essence to how a round ball appears to fall through a flat hoop, but sometimes bounces off to the side instead, creating rebound opportunities.

Yep. That was one side of the pun.

The other side is that I think this kind of joking around is more damaging than the guys who do the joking obviously do.

[bucknersrevenge]

I'll answer shortly since it takes too much time to phrase my terrible european english.

So I'm not sure what you're saying here. Would you have preferred that we trade the pick instead of making it? I can understand the argument for that as I made it myself before the draft. As for being a rotation player, here's the important thing that you can't forget:

Look at our roster right now. Robert Williams isn't GOING to be a rotation player next year. We are f'n stacked!! He doesn't have to be. So guess what happens? He gets to work his butt off, learn from our veterans, watch film, get better. He may not look like a rotation player to you right now but who's to say he might not be improved after a year By then, other guys like Morris might be gone. Baynes is most likely to get a 2 year deal. After that, this kid could feasibly step in. The point is, it doesn't matter whether you can trust him today. Do you trust that he can be coached up and surrounded by the veterans on this team, given what tools he already has, can he get better in 2-3 years to look like a solid rotation player?

Yes, trading the pick would be my choice. I honestly agree with everything you said, but my concern is exactly the point you mentioned: I don't trust him to improve. In 3 years from now Baynes may still be the better player.

I don't see how a player could be the SEC Defensive Player of the Year both his college seasons--and be lacking in passion or understanding of the game (for the level he was playing at). Seems like he well knew his offensive limitations and played within that in order to have a shooting % north of .60.

The same way Grant Williams and Yante Maten just won SEC players of the year. It's SEC we're talking about, not the NBA.

Who would you have drafted?

I'd probably pick Spellman or Khyri Thomas, if not trading the pick. Again, I'm not saying Williams is a terrible pick at 27, I just don't trust his raw potential the way you all do.

I get it. Can't really argue against that. I mean, if you don't trust him, you don't trust him. That said, consider this as well: he doesn't really have to improve that much skill-wise or physically on what he does to be effective with this roster. His plus skills right now are rebounding, defense and finishing. Look at the talent he's gonna be surrounded by. You think defenders are going to be focused on HIS offense? The NBA is a PnR league but in college he rolled only 9 times last year and was forced to play out of position. The way Stevens offensive sets are run requires our big men to be engaged and touch the ball more often than he did in college. Do you think Stevens won't have him rolling every chance he gets? With the focus on our all-stars he's gonna be spoon-fed dunks and layups whenever he's in there much like with Baynes.

All that said though, if I understand you correctly, the WORST thing that happens is that a kid we drafted at 27 who currently does nothing but finish lobs and plays defense somehow manages to not even do that on a loaded team where nobody will pay attention to him on offense. The WORST thing that happens is that a player who dropped 12-15 spots in the draft doesn't "blossom" into an energy big capable of playing a whole 15-20mpg off the bench but Baynes is still an effective backup......................<shrug> lol um, okay.

We have a lottery pick coming next year.

[Duke4life831]

Robert Williams is a bigger version of the Manimal when he plays hard. Guys who can get 20-25 rebounds a game are valuable even if they don't shoot a single jumper.

Hope you're right. I'd take the Manimal on a 27th pick's salary for sure. Though Faried is considered a below-average defender, isn't he?

He's a much more explosive player defensively than Faried ever was. Faried was a good defender in college but a lot of that had to do with the tiny competition he played against in the OVC. Faired is tiny compared to Williams, Faried is only 6'7 with a 7 foot wingspan. Williams has more than enough size and athleticism for his defensive impact to carry over.

[ConstableGeneva]

For those who missed it (like me)...

Watch on YouTube

[BostonCouchGM]

Well, I'm probably the only Celtics fan who didn't like the pick. I'm aware that of the remaining players on the board he had the most "value", but I believe there's a reason he fell to 27. His BBIQ (right now) is lower than any of the other 59 draft picks, he doesn't seem to have any passion for the game, and his offensive game is painful to watch. His body measurements are great, but thats about the only positive I see in him. My guess is he's out of the league by the end of his rookie contract.

BTW I would've been down on many other possible picks Ainge could've made at 27. Most players drafted after the first 20 don't get to contribute in the NBA for long. My main point is I don't see the potential of a rotation player (you all see) in him, which is legitimate for a 27th pick.

I don't like the pick at all either. He's basically a slightly taller/more athletic Jordan Mickey who is 6'8 with a 7.3.25 wingspan and 37 inch vertical. Mickey was actually a better college player and defender than Robert Williams plus could hit a mid-range jumper, wasn't a malcontent with poor BBIQ and he didn't work out. So I have no confidence in Williams. Like Mickey, he's just not what modern NBA centers need to be. There were far too many other great players I would have preferred. We'll be comparing Williams to Musa, Okobo, Thomas, Bonga, Robinson, Kurucs, Diallo, Bates-Diop, and Vanderbilt for years to come and I have a sinking feeling most of them will be better players. I wanted a big and just think Robinson is better in every way imaginable. And FA losses/injuries could turn positions we view as strengths into weaknesses in a hurry going forward. I really hope I'm wrong because we've been searching for a big in the draft for a decade plus to no avail.

[threrf23]

He's basically a slightly taller/more athletic Jordan Mickey who is 6'8 with a 7.3.25 wingspan and 37 inch vertical. Mickey was actually a better college player and defender than Robert Williams plus could hit a mid-range jumper, wasn't a malcontent with poor BBIQ and he didn't work out.

Compared to Mickey, looking at freshman/soph stats per 40, TRW (the Tantalizing Robert Williams) was a much better rebounder, had twice as good an A/TO ratio, and was comparable in terms of steals/blocks/fouls.

Rebounding - a product of effort/fundamentals/focus/instincts tends to be a prerequisite if not a good indicator of NBA success. A/TO touches on bball IQ. TRW also shot better than Mickey, 68% FG% inside the arc last season whereas Mickey was at 51%.

I still haven't watched much of TRW, but I'm under the impression he was considered a top 10 pick and dropped due to maturity concerns & health concerns. Mickey was considered a second round pick from the get go, presumably because a lot of people realized he wasn't very good.

[CelticsLV]

Yeah, not a fan of this pick either. Comes with whole baggage of negatives you can't change that easy if at all. I expect nothing out of this guy. Culture, coaches and veterans didn't help James Young who was also very talented, considered lottery talent but very immature and poor work ethic .

Missing conference call because he overslept. Off to a good start.

[AgentGreen]

When i saw the draft results in the morning at work, i couldn't believe what i just saw.. This kid wouldve been picked in the top 10 last year. Very strange why he has dropped this low in this years draft. I read something about attitude issues, but the kid was playing in college.. The league environment can change those habits and especially when you can chase for a ring with a team like the Celtics.

Thankfully we have the coach, gm and team who can fix these kind of issues. We've got a huge steal, never wouldve expected to see Robert Williams as our 1st round pick.. In potential this kid is Deandre Jordan 2.0.

[big-shot-ROB]

At 27, your odds of even getting a bench warmer are quite low.

The Celtics, such as the Nuggets, are teams that have the foundation to throw a bet in a risky pick. If picking MPJ at 14 was a good risk, don't get me started in RBW III at 27.

Furthermore, one of the most important things in young player development is environment. Do you think Brown, or even Tatum (in less of a degree because of his high IQ), would be playing like this were they drafted by the Kings or the Suns?

If RBW III can not pan out in the Celtics, he won't anywhere. Safe picks for role players are done in the 10-20 range. After 20 what you need to find is a gem, because most players end up out of the league.

And RBW III has way better chance of being a gem than say Jevon Carter or Jacob Evans, who won't improve too much because they are limited physically.

And Robinson does not even compare to Robert.

[sam_I_am]

I wish it weren’t so, but this guy is probably the next Young. He has a skill set team could really use and his talent seems better than where he was picked. But guy is too hungover to show up for first conference call? It’s a terrible start and I’m already writing him off. Maybe he shows well at SL so we can package him in Kawhi trade like we did with Zizic last year.

[Homerclease]

I wish it weren’t so, but this guy is probably the next Young. He has a skill set team could really use and his talent seems better than where he was picked. But guy is too hungover to show up for first conference call? It’s a terrible start and I’m already writing him off. Maybe he shows well at SL so we can package him in Kawhi trade like we did with Zizic last year.

How do you know he was hung over?

[ParticleMan]

i don't understand the Young comparisons, other than the immaturity.

JY was not a great nba athlete. he had poor lateral movement, below-average fast-twitch, lacked anticipation and peripheral vision skills, and didn't have nba strength for the SF position. a lot of this showed up on the defensive end. yeah, he could have developed those areas if he put in the work which he didn't, so that's the immaturity part.

the tantalizer is a legit nba athlete. he is great defensively coming out of college, so he has immediately transferable skills. rebound rate is a stat that typically stays pretty consistent going from college to pros if the size/athleticism is there, and his rebound rate was top-5 in the draft, right there with ayton. hell, he might even be a better ballhandler than JY at the center spot, he seems totally comfortable dribbling the length of the floor and finishing.

the immaturity thing is the only drawback. yeah it could be an issue but given our locker room and the leaders we have both on the team and the coaching staff, he's in the best possible position. anyone can bust, but it's hard to imagine a more perfect situation for him to succeed.