The Boston Celtics must reset their depth chart at center. Kristaps Porzingis is now with the Atlanta Hawks. Luke Kornet is joining the San Antonio Spurs. And Al Horford could soon depart in free agency.
The response so far has been signing Luka Garza, formerly of the Minnesota Timberwolves. But before adding a veteran to patrol the pivot, Boston selected Amari Williams with pick No. 46 in the second round of this year's NBA Draft.
Williams is a seven-foot center from the University of Kentucky. He sharpened his game under head coach Mark Pope after four years at Drexel.
What the Nottingham, England, native does best, certainly offensively, is unorthodox for someone his size. Williams is a skilled and savvy passer. He's an ideal option to fill his role in dribble handoffs. He can set bruising screens to free the ball handler and facilitate for his teammates.
Less than a week after the Celtics selected him, Williams and the rest of the team's draft class, Hugo Gonzalez and Max Shulga, helped conduct a youth basketball clinic at a renovated court unveiling at a YMCA in the greater Boston Area.
There, the former Wildcat shared the roots of his passing skills, citing the role his time on the pitch played in that development.
"A lot of people are saying [that] by playing soccer growing up, that was my first sport, and [by] not hitting a growth spurt until late," said Williams about where his facilitating chops stem from. "I feel like those two things helped my skill set, and something that's helped me get to this level."
Amari Williams' upside is worth investing in
The expectation is that the former Kentucky star starts his NBA career on a two-way deal. Rosters aren't a finished product in early July, but Boston's reconfigured depth chart at center suggests he could earn opportunities with the parent club as a rookie.
The Celtics could try to mold Williams into a similar type of offensive talent as Kornet. He's got the size, savvy, and facilitating skills to make for an effective pick-and-roll partner. He's also an effective lob option when diving to the rim.
At the other end of the floor, the seven-footer from Nottingham is best known for his rim protection. He'll play the pick-and-roll in drop coverage and utilize his size and seven-foot-five wingspan to secure the cylinder. He averaged 1.2 blocks per game as a senior with the Wildcats.
Williams also makes his presence felt on the glass. He grabbed 8.5 rebounds per contest in his lone year in Lexington. That included 2.1 at the offensive end. That ability to extend possessions is a crucial win on the margins that will help him carve out a path to playing time with the Celtics.
While fans love an immediate fix, the 23-year-old from the United Kingdom has the tools to one day develop into a player making an impact on both sides of the ball and becoming a valuable part of Boston's rotation at center.