There are always going to be ups and downs for any NBA rookie. Nevermind a second-round pick on a two-way contract. Monday night’s win over the Portland Trail Blazers was one of the ups for Boston Celtics center Amari Williams.
After taking advantage of some overtime minutes on Friday in Boston's win over the Brooklyn Nets, and starting Saturday in Chicago against the Bulls, Williams capped off (at least for now) his most important stretch as a pro with an impressive display off the bench for Boston. He checked in about midway through the first quarter and got right to work.
By the time the opening 12 minutes came to a close, Williams had already tallied four points, two rebounds, and a block on a perfect 2-2 from the field. Not only were the stats there, but so were the “little things.”
The way the Englishman set screens against Portland felt far more intentional than it did in his first career start on Saturday against the Bulls in Chicago. That night, he didn’t hold his ground and took a while to actually get out of the screen before rolling to the basket.
Everything was just sharper this time -- a step in the right direction for someone whose primary objective is to get better every single day.
I can't keep track of all these Amari Williams highlights, but luckily NBC Sports Boston compiled his and 1, block and dunk pic.twitter.com/rtGQNNd0NF
— Danielle Hobeika (@DanielleHobeika) January 27, 2026
“He was great just to deal with their length and physicality,” Mazzulla told Abby Chin postgame on NBC Sports Boston. “They got [Donovan] Clingan and Rob [Williams III], two guys who have great length. His ability to screen and get guys off the body for Payton, Ant, JB, Sam, and Derrick, and those guys. He just gets better and better, and it’s a credit to his work ethic.”
Mazzulla later again stressed the importance of Williams’ screening, crediting Portland’s aggressive defense spearheaded by Jrue Holiday and Toumani Camara.
Setting impactful screens is a staple of just about every center’s game who’s played a role in Mazzulla’s rotation since he took over as head coach ahead of the 2022-23 season. This year, in particular, the Celtics have created lots of offensive opportunities by screening, rather than tons of ball movement.
Williams' most impressive stat on Monday wasn't what you'd think
The rookie set good screens all night en route to nine points, seven rebounds, and two blocks against Portland.
Perhaps the most impressive stat of the night for Williams was his nearly 26 minutes. Playing time on this Celtics team is always seemingly up for grabs, but also doesn’t come easily.
Mazzulla has shown that he keeps all of his role players on a short leash all season and has little tolerance for nonsensical mistakes.
The fact that Williams played as much as he did tells you all you need to know (even if Luka Garza was out sick on Monday). He only tallied 10 minutes in his start on Saturday.
Why?
Simple, he didn’t have it the way he did against the Blazers.
That’s just part of the ride, ultimately. It would be lovely if this outing kick-started a prolonged run of effectiveness for the 23-year-old, but it’s okay if it doesn’t. He’s going to make mistakes. He’s going to have off nights. He’s a rookie.
Not only is Williams a rookie, but he’s a rookie on a talented and competitive team. He doesn’t have the same room for error as some other first-year players around the league.
What should be the biggest takeaway from this one is that he clearly showed his IQ and understanding of his role. Now it’s time for him to keep building. If he does that, then he could become a rotational piece on the next great Celtics team.
“One of the greatest gifts you can give young players is coaching them really hard," Mazzulla added during his press conference, via CLNS Media. "Holding them to the highest standard is something that they should want.”