Boston Celtics Round Table: Can Marcus Smart Make All-Defense? (mailbag)
By Thomas King
Robert Williams Role
would you play Williams 10-15mins a nite to speed his development, or do you stick with Baynes/Theis off bench. would you limit Al to 25 minutes a nite to keep him fresh for big games/playoffs.
— Usman Garuba (@CfbhoopsA) November 28, 2018
Thomas: I think we will continue to see Robert Williams III used in much the same way he has so far this season: he’ll swing between Boston and Maine and have limited opportunity with the Celtics unless someone is hurt, or the game is out of reach.
Williams III has a ton of potential for a rookie, but Boston is playing for this season and both Aron Baynes and Daniel Theis are vital to Celtics No. 2 defense. Theis sports the team’s best defensive rating and net rating, while Baynes was one of the biggest reasons for the Celtics top-rated defense last season.
A rookie can develop whether he’s playing meaningful NBA minutes or not and Williams will have to content himself from learning from all the great players ahead of him and in his trips up to Maine for major minutes in the G-League.
Christopher: Although Big Bob Williams seems to have limitless potential as a lob-catching big man, I still think the Celtics are doing the right thing giving the center minutes to Aron Baynes and Daniel Theis. Even after a tough start to the season, I still believe the Celtics have the talent to make a very deep run in the playoffs. If everything goes right, who knows, Boston might just be raising its 18th banner.
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Thus, I think that Coach Brad Stevens should play the people who are most likely to help the Celtics get to that point. Robert Williams has exceptionally promising talent-level, but he has not yet shown me that he is better than either Daniel Theis or Aron Baynes.
Petey: Robert Williams posesses elite level athleticism that is rare to find in a man of his size. He has, in limited minutes with the Celtics, shown the ability to make a positive impact with his pogo stick jumping ability and high motor.
With that being said, the Celtics have reached a point with their roster that they feel like they should compete for a championship this year. While Williams has demonstrated his potential, he is not as impactful right now as Daniel Theis and nowhere near as impactful as Aaron Baynes. Those players have the ability to anchor an elite defense, which will be needed to take down the top teams in the eastern conference and the Goliath that is the Golden State Warriors in the west. What is most important is building the chemistry with the players who will be useful in the playoffs, and at the moment that does not include Robert Williams.