Boston Celtics: Frontrunners to win each of the 2021-22 NBA awards
By Nick Swanson
Most likely Boston Celtics DPOY: Robert Williams
Robert Williams finally gets his shot, hopefully, at making an impact for the Boston Celtics as a starter. The 27th overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft hasn’t had his chance yet for the Cs, only having started 16 games in his three-year career.
Williams has been stuck coming off the bench behind Al Horford during his first stint with the team in 2018 and now-Houston Rockets center Daniel Theis for the past season and a half. While Horford is back in Boston, Williams is still the presumed starter.
The ‘Time Lord’ has become very popular among fans during the limited minutes he’s seen. In 2020, he appeared in 52 games, 13 of which he started, and dazzled the crowd with eight points, 6.9 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per game while also shooting 72% from the field in just under 19 minutes per game.
These numbers may not look like much but it’s important to remember that he was in a limited role. Should he see legitimate starter minutes, he’s projected to be putting up around 15.2 points, 13.1 rebounds, 8.2 of which are expected to be defensive rebounds, and a whopping and unrealistic, 3.3 blocks per game based off of his last season.
He has a knack for sending shots back so it’s not surprising that his blocks per game projections are so favorable. While he won’t be sending them back as often as the numbers would say, he’ll definitely be a force inside the paint and on the glass. Williams is an up-and-coming defensive paint beast of a center who should feast down low against some of the better centers in the NBA. His aggressiveness and knowledge of where the ball is on the court at all times is what would put him in the conversation for Defensive Player of the Year honors.