Boston Celtics: How Robert Williams’ Game 3 return changes Cs rotation

The Boston Celtics and Brooklyn Nets are reaching the point of their Eastern Conference quarterfinals series where all the stops are required to advance.

Brooklyn will be returning to the Barclays Center in hopes the Kings County crowd will help swing the pendulum in the opposite direction. Ben Simmons’ return won’t be that impetus, considering his return won’t be for at least another game:

But the Cs will be returning the shot-swatting ace in the hole, Robert Williams, at the perfect time in this series.

The ‘Time Lord’ has been absent since the end of March, with his return being given a 4-6 week timetable on March 30th. He looks to be beating that timeframe by a week with this early comeback.

What Robert Williams’ return to the Boston Celtics means for the rotation

If Robert Williams steps onto the court as an active participant for Game 3 as planned, it will be to give the Cs a major boost out of the opening tip. The Nets will have the Brooklyn crowd to feed off of, but Boston’s starting lineup will receive an adrenaline injection in the opening minutes from having a major piece back for the first time during its postseason stretch run during the quest for Banner 18.

Ime Udoka doesn’t plan on overdoing it in Williams’ first game back, so any start would be curtailed fairly soon after getting off the ground. What that means for the other postseason frontcourt minutes is that Daniel Theis will play far less, while Grant Williams still figures to be the first big off the bench in Game 3.

Boston Celtics fans could only hope that’ll be enough to overcome the most prolific 1-2 punch in the Eastern Conference playoff picture on their homecourt.