Boston Celtics: 3 X-factors that will determine C’s fate against Heat in ECF

Boston Celtics X-factor No. 3) Robert Williams III

The Boston Celtics have managed to get this far in the 2022 playoffs without having a fully healthy Robert Williams III on their side.

Now, while they’ve been able to produce quite well under these unfortunate circumstances, with just over a week of consistent rest, coming into Game 1 it is believed that the C’s starting center will be a full go and, to us, this could prove to have the makings of him turning into the ultimate X-factor in this series.

Miami is somewhat of an old-school team, one that is heavily influenced by their defensive play and interior offense.

As far as the C’s style of play goes, on paper they have what it takes to cause major problems for the top-seeded Heat, especially when it comes to their defensive production with Time Lord in the mix.

As we mentioned already, Erik Spoelstra’s offensive scheme is heavily predicated on inside the arc attempts, especially down low and in the paint where they finished the year off ranked within the top-10 in such attempts per game and in the top-5 in paint touches.

Having the menacing presence of Robert Williams hovering around by the rim will almost certainly impact the Heat’s offensive gameplan for, according to Ben Ladner of the Step Back, having the big man on the floor typically forces an opposing team to cut down on their interior attempts and, instead, head towards the perimeter and, against a defense like Boston, this is not an ideal scenario for Miami:

"Teams take just a quarter of their shots at the rim and get to the foul line significantly less often when Williams plays, and having that kind of shield at the rim allows perimeter defenders to more aggressively pressure the ball and challenge shooters out on the floor."

Having Williams take away Miami’s go-to offensive approach (or, at the least, making it more challenging to get into their preferred sets) will almost certainly throw them out of synch, while his offensive impact (C’s outscored opponents by 10 points per 100 possessions with him on the floor prior to his injury) could make things a whole lot more challenging for them on the defensive end as well.

As we’ve seen all year long, having a healthy Robert Williams III in the lineup is absolutely crucial for Boston’s overall success and has made them an almost unstoppable force.

With him back in the rotation, Miami’s likely going to have a ton of problems on their hands, both when on offense and on defense.