It hasn't received much attention, but Amari Williams had a strong showing in Great Britain's FIBA EuroBasket 2029 Pre-Qualifiers.
Thursday, against Switzerland, he registered eight points. He converted on four of his seven field-goal attempts. Of course, the Boston Celtics' center does his work around the basket.
Williams also grabbed seven rebounds. That matched three others in the matchup for a game high. He also dished out two assists. That helped his team cruise to a 110-75 win while he earned a +9 plus-minus rating in 18:51 of floor time.
Sunday, he was even better.
Amari Williams shines on the FIBA stage
For an encore, in the second of his international team's two tilts in this qualifying window, the seven-foot center delivered a stellar performance.
While he only attempted three shots and put two points on the board, he still stuffed the stat sheet. Williams snagged nine rebounds, which was a team high. He doled out six assists, the most in the matchup. He also swiped a steal and registered a rejection.
The 46th overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft was a driving force in Great Britain's 97-72 victory vs. Slovakia.
FIBA is the ideal Celtics springboard for Amari Williams
C's fans saw the impact that FIBA can have last year with Neemias Queta, who continues to power Portugal. It helped prepare him for his chance to join the starting lineup. After sharpening his game against the likes of Nikola Jokic, Alperen Sengun, and Kristaps Porzingis, he evolved into a top-10 center in the regular season, in this author's opinion.
Williams is an improbable candidate to generate the fourth-highest net rating in the NBA or finish fifth in win shares per 48 minutes, as Queta did in the 2025-26 campaign. However, his time at FIBA should help him hone his craft.
It was also a chance to build on both the good and the bad from Summer League. One of his most important developments was playing with more confidence.
Big time block ❌ pic.twitter.com/DJNgzC68zS
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) July 16, 2026
The Nottingham, United Kingdom, native has the size, strength, and mobility to be an NBA contributor on both ends of the floor. Now, he has to be more assertive about applying those physical tools. Seeing him hold his ground, even when challenged, in Las Vegas was encouraging.
FIBA is a chance for the 24-year-old Celtics center to continue cultivating that edge before he arrives in Boston for training camp. Passing the tests in front of him was a great way for him to prepare to retain his two-way deal. It will also help him as he builds his case for why he should get their final open roster spot.
Add us as a preferred source on Google