Boston Celtics: Al Horford perfect for Robert Williams

Al Horford can help Robert Williams in all the ways he needs to have an impact on the Boston Celtics

Despite being just the 27th pick in the draft, there is a tremendous amount of excitement surrounding Robert Williams. Fans have fallen in love with him, and Brad Stevens has talked about his ability to contribute right away.

The most exciting part, however, might be the relationship that will grow between Williams and Al Horford. Immediately after being selected by the Celtics, Williams talked about working with Horford, and he really could not have found a better player to learn from.

The best part of their pairing is that Horford will help teach Williams all the things he may struggle with. We know Williams is a superior athlete with remarkable versatility. On the Celtics, however, it is always going to be the little things that gets you the minutes.

Having a big who can just be a serviceable passer makes a huge difference on offense, and that is Horford’s expertise. Williams may never be a real play maker and distributor, but Horford will show him the importance of being able to maintain ball movement as a big.

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Horford has also been the master of sustaining small ball lineups on defense. Their physical tools are very different, but Horford knows what it takes to have to be a paint protector, while also switching out onto guards.

Having that kid of defensive versatility is about a lot more than just physical tools, and putting Williams next to Horford could end up creating the perfect combination of mental and physical defensive performance.

Horford is also the master of reliability. He knows exactly what he is capable of doing, and never over extends himself to the point where he is hurting the team. On offense, Williams is a lot more limited than Horford, and the most important thing is going to be avoiding mistakes and not being a liability on the court.

Right now, there is no better big in the NBA than Horford to teach and young player how to avoid being a liability, while focusing on all the different things he can do to make the team better. Horford has always led by example, and if Williams can follow his lead, he can have a special impact this season.

Everyone can see that Williams has the physical tools to be something special for the Celtics, but that is always going to be just the starting point. He needs to know how to use those tools, and the Celtics need to figure out how much they will need him to do and what kind of role can work out best for everyone.

Williams has made it clear that he is not only willing, but excited to look up to Horford, and that could end up being the most important thing in his career.

When you are able to combine everything that Brad Stevens will do for him, with everything he can also learn from Horford, you have some of the best mentors in the entire NBA. The Celtics are building something special, so you need to be special to be a part of it.

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Physically, no one is going to doubt how special Williams is, and Horford could end up being the key to making sure he is able to bring out and use every bit of his talent, and become a real piece of this Celtics core, rather than just some defensive depth off the bench.

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