Celtics’ Robert Williams Listed ‘Most Underrated Player’

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Robert Williams and Al Horford of the Boston Celtics.

After their NBA Finals took place last season, the Boston Celtics demanded the attention of the rest of the league. Jayson Tatum emerged as a top superstar in the league, Jaylen Brown showed why he’s one of the best wings in the NBA, and Al Horford even had his moment in the spotlight. sunshine.

But despite all eyes currently on the Celtics, not everyone on the roster is highly rated. Marcus Smart still manages to get hate (even from his own fan base), and Derrick White never quite earned the respect of the Bostonians. However, according to Bleacher Report’s Zach Buckley, not the most underrated player on the list.

On July 23, Buckley wrote an article detailing every team’s most underrated players, and for the Celtics he listed out big man Robert Williams. Youth Center won the All-Defensive Second Team title and played a key role in their knockout match.

Buckley wrote for Bleacher Report: “While the knockouts provide a large enough platform to officially introduce Robert Williams III to casual fans, he has yet to complete his deadline,” Buckley wrote. .

Buckley credits Williams’ impact in the NBA finals as the main reason he was rated as “the most underrated”.

Celtics won Williams’ last minute

In his article, Buckley pointed to the fact that, while Williams was on the ring, the Celtics overcame the Golden State Warriors in the Finals. Not only did they win the minutes but they dominated.

“For example, did you know Shamrocks actually won his 158 minutes of Finals by a healthy 30? The problem is they got 54 points in the 130 minutes he couldn’t play,” Buckley revealed. “Or this: Did you know Williams is just behind Nikola Jokic, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Rudy Gobert with a 0.262 win share per 48 minutes in the regular season?”

Williams’ new defensive role last season helped him thrive. Instead of guarding enemy centers, he spends most of his time guarding corners and helping drivers. He can have a greater defensive impact, blocking shots in the painted area and behind the three-point line.

But while he’s earned the respect of some, Buckley still doesn’t believe his game is fully appreciated.

Williams Is ‘The Star In His Role’

The 24-year-old may never reach the point of being an All-Star, but as Buckley mentioned, he has become a star in the role Boston plays. offense made him integral to the Celtics’ game plan on both sides of the ring.

“So while you might consider Williams to be pretty good or even better than people think, objectively he has some backstory up there,” Buckley said. “Even if he doesn’t achieve all the traditional hallmarks of a star, he is at least an all-round STAR in his role. He’s a troublemaker in defence, a creative passer who sneaks in attack and a shot, clears the ball, clears the glass around the basket. “

As the Celtics try to replicate their success from last year and then some, Williams will continue to be a hugely important part of their plans.