Boston Celtics: Robert Williams maturity problems should not be a concern

Boston Celtics do not need to be concerned about Robert Williams’ maturity problems

There is a tremendous amount of excitement about Boston Celtics rookie Robert Williams, certainly more than you ever expect from someone selected with the 27th pick in the draft. Whenever that happens, you have to ask yourself how that player could have dropped, and there are some red flags with Williams.

There were some questions about missing injury information, but the maturity concerns appear to be the most prominent. Williams’ own father said that he needed some help on that front, but everything in pointing to the Celtics being the perfect place for him to fix those issues.

Firstly, he is talking like a player ready to commit to a great franchise. He has spoken about looking to Al Horford as an example, and you could not ask for a better role model. Horford is one of the most collected players in the NBA, and is truly zero maintenance, while being a role model for everyone around him.

Horford always leads by example, and if Williams is able to learn even a small amount from Horford about composure, commitment and sacrifice in the NBA, we will never be hearing about potential maturity problems again.

More from Hardwood Houdini

Horford causes no problems what so ever, is a phenomenal leader, and he will be there to keep Williams in check if some of his bad habits break out.

Then you have Brad Stevens, who has never struggled with the ego of his players. Everyone can see how good he is at getting something from his talent, and that means everyone is ready to commit to his vision.

With that kind of dedication and commitment, Williams will be getting the exact kind of guidance he needs, and will not be a problem at all. He still has to control things on his end, but he could not have found a better spot to get the guidance he needs, and no one wants to waste an opportunity to be a part of this Celtics core.

Williams also knows that there is too much clutter with the second unit bigs to be causing drama. The Celtics have avoided those issues even with problem players. Keep in mind, Marcus Smart was a crazy wild card coming out of college, joined the Celtics during a much less stable time, and all that happened was the Celtics harnessed that energy in the most special way possible.

Williams landed in an ideal position to get a role as a rookie while contending for a championship, and the track record of the Celtics makes it hard to envision Williams maturity being a problem at all.

People can also forget how young these players are, and how different their mentality can become in the NBA. There is no time to mess around on the Celtics, and he will be playing with teammates and coaches that will always be there to pick him up and put him in positions to succeed.

Even if Williams had question marks in the past, and it did not help that he missed his first conference call, it is time to focus on what he is doing and saying right now, and there is nothing to be concerned about at this point. If anything, the issues in the past could force him to be more aware of what is going on and grow more than anyone could have expected.

People grow and players can change their mentality, and everyone can see what an opportunity Williams has. He is one of the most special athletes to come out of this draft, and the Celtics can use him in a lot of different ways.

If, somehow, those maturity problems do resurface, then the Celtics do not have to be worried too much. This core is way too strong for any rookie to come in and disrupt anything at all. In the end, all Williams can do is hurt himself, and he appears to be aware of what an opportunity he has.

Next: Importance of passing bigs

Williams is going to be an exciting player with an edge, and if the Celtics can harness his energy the way they did Smart, he could be in line for a special rookie season.