Following the injury to Neemias Queta on Sunday night, the Boston Celtics have activated two-way big man Amari Williams, who has been in the G League to begin the season. Williams, a rookie whom Boston picked No. 46 overall in the 2025 NBA Draft, will be called up for the Celtics’ game against the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday.
Queta suffered a left ankle sprain in Boston’s win over the Orlando Magic and has already been ruled out for Wednesday night. Without him on the floor, Boston has struggled mightily, especially on the defensive end. Having Williams around will at least give Joe Mazzulla an extra big body on the bench.
And maybe he’ll even get some playing time.
How can Amari Williams help?
Williams is a very unique center. Listed at 6-foot-11, his most impressive skill is his passing, which is unusual. During Summer League, he struggled a bit with rebounding and positioning, but throughout the start of the season in the G League, he has made some strides.
The big man has appeared in seven games with the Maine Celtics so far this year, playing 31.1 minutes per contest. He is averaging 12.7 points, 10.9 rebounds, 4.4 assists, and 1.9 blocks while shooting 64.2% from the field.
Obviously, there are still plenty of improvements he needs to make if he wants to make it at the NBA level, but his first few games in the G League have been a good start.
It seems relatively unlikely that Williams will see any significant court time against the Pistons. Him getting called up is probably just a precautionary endeavor for the Celtics so they can round out their bench unit.
Mazzulla would likely go to Xavier Tillman, Chris Boucher, or a center-less small-ball lineup before throwing Williams into the fire. But if Boston really struggles to match the Pistons’ size when Luka Garza is off the court, then maybe, just maybe, Williams could get a chance.
Whether or not said chance would go well is a different question that needs to be asked, but at the very least, he will be available for Mazzulla to call on if necessary.
Queta’s absence is going to be a massive test for the Celtics. If Williams ends up being more NBA-ready than meets the eye, it would be a huge help.
However, this move is most likely just a way for the Celtics to have some extra center depth on the deep bench.