This has not been the season Robert Williams envisioned.
The Celtics middle’s sudden knee surgical procedure on the eve of coaching camp value him the primary 29 video games of the season. A current hamstring damage compelled him out for eight. Williams has proven flashes of his irreplaceable potential, however hasn’t gained a constant rhythm. But requested Friday how he’s considered his season to this point, he wasn’t fairly within the temper for reflection but.
“Ask me at the end of the summer and I can answer that a little bit better,” Williams stated with a smile.
Williams definitely isn’t achieved with the story of his season but. He’s again wholesome, and although he’s missed 44 video games, is aware of crucial video games are forward. His return in Tuesday’s win at Sacramento was a reminder of how dominant the Celtics might be after they’re complete, and why they’re such a championship menace. With Williams out and in of the lineup all yr – in addition to others – it’s been arduous for the C’s to search out that type persistently.
Now is the time for the Celtics to search out their stride. With two weeks to go within the common season, Williams understands the remaining video games are crucial. A nudge from Al Horford, who has made his presence identified extra lately, has re-emphasized that.
“I feel like these games are really important, not just for me but for all of us, just to get a rhythm with each other,” Williams stated. “Be as real with each other as we can, be able to take all the criticism before we roll into the playoffs obviously. We had meetings about it and Al sits us down, tells us to try to do at least one more thing to help this team in the playoffs. I feel like we got to treat these like playoff games. When we’re playing against playoff-caliber teams, we have to treat them like playoff games.”
For the Celtics to be complete with Williams once more, the injury-riddled huge man needed to take his time along with his left hamstring damage, which he suffered within the March 3 loss to Brooklyn. Hamstrings have a approach of lingering, and given how necessary Williams is to the Celtics’ title hopes, they stayed cautious with him.
“It was kind of tricky because it was an injury where you have to stop 100 percent activities to see how hurt you are,” Williams stated. “The first time I tried it, it kind of surprised me, you know what I’m saying. It was an injury that I wasn’t really used to. I had to take time that I feel like I did need some time off. The long journey is the best journey, obviously. Availability is the best ability, so I’m just glad I got through that.”
Williams performed 21 minutes in his return towards the Kings, and whereas his presence on the ground gave the C’s an power increase, he admitted he was “a step slow on stuff that I’m usually on top of. So I just gotta get back to that motion of being 100 percent for the team so I can help the team as much as I can.”
Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla introduced Williams off the bench in his return, just like how he was used when he got here again from knee surgical procedure. Though he was a fixture of the beginning lineup in final yr’s run to the NBA Finals, it’s not essentially a foregone conclusion that he’ll return to that function.
Mazzulla stated Thursday that lineups will rely upon matchups and he isn’t set on having an outlined beginning lineup as he seems to be to maximise his roster. The common starters surrounded by Derrick White have performed probably the most minutes of any Celtics lineup this season, and that will proceed. Either approach, although, Williams doesn’t care.
“I’ma play whether I’m starting or coming off the bench,” Williams stated. “I don’t mean that (to be) cocky, but I mean that as whatever opportunity that I’m given, I’m gonna make the most of it. We all communicate a lot around this team, coaching staff to players, we know what our goal is and everybody is willing to put forth effort to get that goal. So it’s just what it is.”
Source: www.bostonherald.com