Boston Celtics get front court versatility in Robert Williams

The Boston Celtics get great front court versatility in Robert Williams

The Boston Celtics made no movements, and made their selection at 27, taking forward Robert Williams from Texas A&M. The Celtics may not have brought in anything like a rookie of the year candidate, but the versatility he can bring to the front court should earn him minutes.

The Celtics are top heavy while having established players come off the bench. The only way a rookie is going to be able to have an impact is if they bring something in particular that Brad Stevens will not find elsewhere on the roster.

The weakest part of this roster is the front court depth, and Williams will be able to contribute in that role. Daniel Theis is ahead of him off the bench, but Williams bring a level of athleticism that no one else can match in the front court.

The Celtics will be playing a lot of small ball this coming season, and that means their rebounding issues could come back. Williams will be a great option to come in and bring that rebounding boost, and he can do it while being much more versatile than a traditional big.

More from Hardwood Houdini

With Williams, the Celtics will be able to get the impact of traditional size, from an athlete that will not limit them in any ways. Williams is not a seven footer, but his wingspan and vertical more than make up for it.

Williams will bring rebounding and paint protection, while also being able to switch out to the perimeter. Last season, the Celtics flourished with the defensive impact of Aron Baynes. Ideally, Williams will bring that kind of reliability on the interior, while not limiting the team in any other way, and slowing down what they want to do with everyone else on the court.

The Celtics will be able to switch Williams as much as they want, and he should have no problem disrupting a lot of what a defense wants to do. The biggest struggle for the Celtics last season was getting the impact of traditional size, while still being able to switch all players at all times. With Williams, they have a phenomenal option to bring that rare defensive combination.

Williams will have to earn him role, and it could take time. What we do know is that they want to embrace from court versatility as much as possible, and Williams is a truly special athlete.

Williams will need to prove that he can be trusted on defense, and from there his role will be able to grow. He is not a threat to shoot the ball and would have almost no impact on offense. Fortunately, the top talent on this team brings more than enough offense, keeping open the possibility that Williams can have an impact with defense alone.

It will always be hard for any rookie to come in and have an impact on a team established like the Celtics. Williams, however, can fill a particular role that the Celtics may be lacking. They also have Semi Ojeleye, who brings some front court versatility, but there is a huge gap in the level of athleticism.

Ojeleye has superior strength and is a threat to shoot the three ball, but Williams’ athleticism gives him a special kind of defensive ceiling that could put him in a more prominent role.

Williams will be able to do special things at the rim, and could end up being the best individual rebounder on the team. He is joining a team that will let him ease into things and transition properly, while knowing they will value what he is best at.

Next: Boston Celtics find a gem in Robert Williams

It was always going to be a challenge to find a rookie that could have an impact for the Celtics, but the elite athleticism and front court versatility could earn Williams a small but legitimate role.