Celtics Shouldn’t Delay Robert Williams Return to Starting Lineup

Robert Williams III delayed the Celtics’ loss to the Nuggets by over 40 minutes as Boston sat, trailing 110-97, watching arena workers try to level the rim they shot on in the second half before time ran out on their comeback attempt. Williams III had flushed an alley-oop slam plays earlier and bent it enough that the Celtics noticed.

Teammates teased him about his role in the postponement, and he played none in the minutes that followed. Al Horford closed with Grant Williams in the front court before Joe Mazzulla emptied his bench down 14 with 2:05 remaining. Nikola Jokic, who scored 30 points with 12 assists, tortured any look the big men threw at him.

The Nuggets beat the Celtics, 123-111, in a game largely decided before the bizarre delay that sparked health concerns for both sides. Williams III finished eight points in 18 minutes, playing a limited role off the bench for the seventh straight game since his return, extending his unmatched efficiency to 25-for-30.

That only amounts to four shots each night, and for an offense struggling to shoot since November began, he’s become an underutilized outlet. Mazzulla will not return him to the starting lineup, for now, even after that unit dominated 2022.

“We’ve been given, medically, the minutes that he should play,” Damon Stoudamire said on Thursday. “We just kind of play off of that. You can see Rob, to me, getting better each game. I thought last game he was able to play consistent time, for a longer period of time, and that was big for him. More than anything, as a team, we know we need him, but I think the biggest thing is he needs to be comfortable.”

Williams III underwent clean-up surgery on the same left knee he tore his meniscus in last season, which he opted for removal surgery, which carried a three-week recovery and long-term risks. Those appeared to play out into the postseason, as pain, restricted movement and swelling undermined his entire postseason and lingered into the summer.

Whatever role his 30 minutes per game last year played in the initial injury, the Celtics entered 2022-23 stressing patience and getting their big man right. It’s not shocking he’s been limited this early in his return. He’s also battled an illness over the past week and was questionable to play in Denver until game time.

Rob’s usage comes as some surprise though. Mazzulla mentioned the potential to return to larger lineups earlier in the season and only used Horford and Williams III together for three minutes before halftime on Thursday.

That’s a coach’s decision, as the Celtics enjoyed playing White with the starters as an active screener and ball-handler. His fall to 27% three-point shooting since Nov. 30 hurt his efficiency after a hot start.

“I think it depends on what’s best for our team at the time, what’s best for him,” Mazzulla said. “We’ve fluctuated the starting lineup a little bit throughout the year, which has given us some flexibility, but we’ve found some consistency in what we have now and I think it’s just a matter of if it makes sense we’ll do it, and if it doesn’t, we won’t. It’s got nothing to do with (Rob’s health), it’s more what’s best for the team and where we’re at.”

As enticing as the shooting, spacing and versatility of the small-ball looks the Celtics courted during a historic start, their luster got lost in a shooting slump that continued into the new year. Boston shot 9-for-33 from three against the Nuggets and rank 19th in effective shooting (53.7%) over their last 16 games, winning nine.

They effectively shifted away from the three after a 3-for-14 start, attempting only 37.9% of their field goals from behind the arc, well below their season rate of 47.9, but the Nuggets went on to hit 17 threes in their win. The Celtics shot 31-for-54 from two and drew 27 free throw attempts as they tinker with ways to score elsewhere.

The math just didn’t add up for them on Thursday. They’ve achieved positive outcomes, beating opponents by 3.4 points per 100 possessions, by playing some of the best defense in the league since Williams III returned otherwise.

They’ve allowed 109.2 points per possession in those eight games, Williams III playing in seven, maintaining the league’s seventh-best net rating over that stretch. Rob has felt fine after each game physically.

Conditioning came around and he looks more spry with each game. His 12 points in over 21 minutes keyed Thursday’s win over the Clippers. Jaylen Brown is making an effort to find him, but his involvement hasn’t approached the high post touches and split actions that led to his best game ever on New Year’s Eve, 2021 against Phoenix. Opponents are shooting 35.8% against him on 67 tries. He’s back, but not in his old role.

When he saw it briefly, playing with Marcus Smart, Brown, Tatum and Horford, they outscored the Nuggets 9-4, forced two turnovers and held Denver to 1-for-5 shooting while taking seven shots themselves. That’s how last year’s starting lineup amassed a 118.8 offensive rating, better than Boston’s mark for this season.

Although the starters with White in Williams III’s place are still posting 122.5 points per 100 possessions, they’ve only built a +15.6 net rating, compared to +24.6 for last year’s starters. They’ve lacked offensive rebounding, ranking 26th (24.6%) after finishing 11th last season, with his 16.0 OREB% already leading the team by far. Williams’ lob and put-back threat can space the floor like a shooter can, known as vertical spacing.

Horford and Williams III held opponents to 91.0 points per 100 possessions through six games, flashing that old defensive brilliance, but not scoring much more than 101 per 100. Giving the team’s best players the chance to play together could help them build a new offensive identity as their old one regressed last month, and Williams III has only played 22 of 131 minutes with likely closing lineups. Neither White nor Williams III said they care if they start or not.

Defense led them to the Finals, and Williams III’s ceiling closely mirrors the team’s.

“This offense is a lot quicker, a lot more freedom,” Williams III said last week. “Just doing the natural stuff that I do, get out hard, roll quick, create shots for other people. You don’t wanna mess up the flow of things, you’ve got to figure out where you fit in and help … the first two games, the team’s been playing a lot faster compared to last year. I’m just trying to figure out where to be, but it’s like riding a bike.”