NBA Rumors: Boston Celtics defensive anchor Robert Williams could be back sooner than originally thought.
Over the past few months, one of the big reasons for the Boston Celtics‘ turnaround was the emergence of defensive anchor Robert Williams. He has been vital to the NBA’s best defense and has fueled their recent play.
So when it was announced that he had a knee injury that could keep him out the remainder of the season, you couldn’t have felt worse for a team that was beginning to play its best basketball of the season.
However, there’s some good news for Williams. Turns out, there’s a chance that Williams is back in 4-6 weeks which would give him a shot to return during the second round of the NBA Playoffs.
"[via ESPN]After undergoing surgery for a torn meniscus in his left knee on Wednesday morning, Boston Celtics center Robert Williams III is expected to return within four to six weeks — a timetable that could land him back in the lineup as soon as the second round of the Eastern Conference playoffs, sources told ESPN."
During his fourth season in the league, Williams is averaging 10 points, 10 rebounds, and two blocks per game on 73 percent shooting from the field. He’s their defensive anchor in the middle and has been one of the best players on that end of the floor this season.
Losing him will absolutely leave a void in the middle for the Celtics, but if they could survive in the first round of the playoffs, there’s hope Williams could be back to help push Boston towards a deep playoff run.
There’s a strong argument that could be made that the Celtics are playing the best basketball of any other team in the Eastern Conference right now. Currently, the Celtics are third in the East standings. Though, they have a big game against the Miami Heat Wednesday night that could vault them all the way up to No. 1.