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Getty Robert Williams de los Boston Celtics.
Ever since Robert Williams III tore his meniscus on March 27, Boston Celtics fans have been wondering when the young center would return to the court. Torn menisci are difficult to measure when it comes to recovery because it depends on how severe the tear itself is. When Daniel Theis tore his meniscus in March 2018, the Celtics shut him down for the rest of the season. Note: He tore his meniscus at an earlier date in the 2018 season than Williams did this season, but there seemed to be reasonable optimism. that Williams hadn’t finished for the year.
While Williams hasn’t been ruled out for the season, Ime Udoka didn’t seem too optimistic about whether Timelord would return in time for the Celtics’ first-round series against the Brooklyn Nets.
Ime Udoka says of Robert Williams’ rehabilitation: “We are happy with the progress, but at the same time, we understand that it will take time.” He said the C’s are still planning as if they need to play the first round without Williams, and adjust if the timeline moves forward.
— Marc D’Amico (@Marc_DAmico) April 13, 2022
Obviously, the Celtics have to be cautious here with Williams, both because of his injury history and in his best interest not to make his torn meniscus worse. Fun fact: Timelord hit a career-high for games played this season with 61 total, which is both encouraging and scary for Boston. So while his good health for most of the season has played a part in his rapid progress, it’s in their best interest not to risk their long-term status as a player. With the impact he’s had and how young he is, it’s more likely that producing him is just the beginning.
However, if they truly believe he’ll be healed and ready to play smoothly in time for the Nets’ series, then, of course, they have every right to play him.
No Robert Williams could spell trouble for the Celtics
There have been many conflicting stories about when and if Williams will return to the court. No one knows for sure when the Time Lord will return or, even if he does, what kind of impact he will have on the pitch. There are so many unknown factors related to his name alone, which has explained why many believe the Nets can pull off the upset.
A rather revealing stat from Action Network’s Matt Moore will likely catch the attention of Celtics fans everywhere.
Celtics vs. Nets this season, with the caveat that a lot of guys were missing from every matchup and the Celtics were a very different team later, etc, etc.
Con Robert Williams: +24.4 Rating Neto
Sin Robert Williams: +1,5 de rating neto
— Hardwood paroxysm (@HPbasketball) April 14, 2022
Admittedly, these stats are skewed, which Moore points out and then some, in part because the Celtics were a very different team between the start of the season and when it ended. Still, it raises some concern how much better the Celtics were when Williams was on the floor compared to him when he wasn’t, as Williams’ return date remains murky.
Again, because the times were different when those stats were rolled up, it’s hard to really assess how significant they are to Boston’s upcoming series against Brooklyn. But if this series turns out to be as tough for Boston as some think, stats like these might explain why.
Al Horford and Daniel Theis should be good together
If it hasn’t been clear enough already, losing Robert Williams III is a significant blow to Boston’s title hopes. Fortunately, not having it around is not the end of the world. Facing Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving will be a challenge, but Boston’s likely starting frontman of Al Horford and Daniel Theis should be more than up to the task.
The sample size isn’t too large, but it’s large enough to reassure the collective Celtics fans. According to NBA.com, Horford and Theis’ two-man lineup has an offensive rating of 127.9 points per 100 possessions while it has a defensive rating of 94.7 points per 100 possessions. In total, the two have a net rating of plus-33.2 points per 100 possessions when they share the court together. That’s the highest net rating among two-man Celtics lineups that have been on the floor together for 100 minutes or more.
The two may have their hands full with the Nets, but they won’t be easy for Brooklyn to exploit.
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