Post by Admin on Jun 25, 2018 21:09:19 GMT -5
3 lineup options with Robert Williams
by Joshua Bateman
by Joshua Bateman
Photo by Harry How/Getty Images
Here are three lineups that Robert Williams can offer great value in for the Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics have an incredible level of talent for next season, and it is going to be a lot more difficult for end of the rotation players to get minutes. Brad Stevens will always like to keep his players fresh and go as deep as possible, but that still is going to leave some options without a proper role.
One player in question is going to be rookie Robert Williams. He has a lot of work to do to get a role, but the front court depth will leave the door open. He has both Daniel Theis and Semi Ojeleye ahead of him off the bench, but he can offer something unique enough to get him a role.
Williams will be a defenisve specialist next season, and has a level of athleticism and explosiveness that no other big on this roster is capable of reaching.
He will have to earn Stevens’ trust, and that always takes time. If, however, he can show his value, and make it clear that he is not going to be too much of a liability, then he could be a solid part of good lineups.
His versatility will give him enough options, but he it is always going to be a process for someone as raw as a rookie. If Williams is able to carve out a role for himself, he could offer great value in these lineups.
The Boston Celtics have an incredible level of talent for next season, and it is going to be a lot more difficult for end of the rotation players to get minutes. Brad Stevens will always like to keep his players fresh and go as deep as possible, but that still is going to leave some options without a proper role.
One player in question is going to be rookie Robert Williams. He has a lot of work to do to get a role, but the front court depth will leave the door open. He has both Daniel Theis and Semi Ojeleye ahead of him off the bench, but he can offer something unique enough to get him a role.
Williams will be a defenisve specialist next season, and has a level of athleticism and explosiveness that no other big on this roster is capable of reaching.
He will have to earn Stevens’ trust, and that always takes time. If, however, he can show his value, and make it clear that he is not going to be too much of a liability, then he could be a solid part of good lineups.
His versatility will give him enough options, but he it is always going to be a process for someone as raw as a rookie. If Williams is able to carve out a role for himself, he could offer great value in these lineups.
Going Big
Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images
Marcus Smart, Jaylen Brown, Robert Williams, Daniel Theis, Al Horford
The Celtics have made it clear that they are all about small ball. It is looking like they will only have one real big in their starting lineup, and that could be problematic against some dominant front courts.
The Celtics do not have any real traditional size, but they have remarkable versatility at every single position. The Celtics may not have traditional size, but they could end up with deadly size that could account for any bigs with this kind of lineup.
Offense would be a struggle, but this might be the best defensive lineup the Celtics could put out there. It gives them five players that can switch to almost any position, while not leaving any advantage.
Williams would actually be crucial to this lineup as well. There is size around him in Horford and Theis, but neither of them are the athletes that Williams is. With Smart and Brown in the back court, they will be able to account for any kind of athletes.
With Williams, they will have someone with size that will be able to keep up with much better athletes than the other two. Williams could be moves around a lot, because his help on the interior would leave no easy buckets, and his versatility would prevent the opponent from being able to go small and blow by all of them.
The Celtics have made it clear that they are all about small ball. It is looking like they will only have one real big in their starting lineup, and that could be problematic against some dominant front courts.
The Celtics do not have any real traditional size, but they have remarkable versatility at every single position. The Celtics may not have traditional size, but they could end up with deadly size that could account for any bigs with this kind of lineup.
Offense would be a struggle, but this might be the best defensive lineup the Celtics could put out there. It gives them five players that can switch to almost any position, while not leaving any advantage.
Williams would actually be crucial to this lineup as well. There is size around him in Horford and Theis, but neither of them are the athletes that Williams is. With Smart and Brown in the back court, they will be able to account for any kind of athletes.
With Williams, they will have someone with size that will be able to keep up with much better athletes than the other two. Williams could be moves around a lot, because his help on the interior would leave no easy buckets, and his versatility would prevent the opponent from being able to go small and blow by all of them.
Small Ball
Photo by Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images
Kyrie Irving, Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, Gordon Hayward, Robert Williams
Williams offers some of the resistance they would want to get from traditional bigs, but his best fit might still be in small ball situations. There will be a lot more defensive pressure on him, and would be more difficult to maintain.
Even so, this kind of lineup could absolutely destroy teams, and be truly impossible to account for. The top four give them all the offense they will ever need, and then Williams will be able to destroy teams with his athleticism.
This lineup also gives the Celtics four different players that can be interchangeable on defense. They would want to have Williams focused on the interior, but he would not have to be trapped there. They have great versatility and the potential from this lineup is if all these wings are able to stay on the court without being abused on the inside.
Williams was brought in to bring that resistance on the inside while being able to switch any time he needs. If he brought that, the top four in the lineup could run wild and absolutely destroy teams, even if it will be difficult to maintain for extended periods of time.
Even so, this kind of lineup could absolutely destroy teams, and be truly impossible to account for. The top four give them all the offense they will ever need, and then Williams will be able to destroy teams with his athleticism.
This lineup also gives the Celtics four different players that can be interchangeable on defense. They would want to have Williams focused on the interior, but he would not have to be trapped there. They have great versatility and the potential from this lineup is if all these wings are able to stay on the court without being abused on the inside.
Williams was brought in to bring that resistance on the inside while being able to switch any time he needs. If he brought that, the top four in the lineup could run wild and absolutely destroy teams, even if it will be difficult to maintain for extended periods of time.
Offense/Defense
Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images
Marcus Smart, Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, Gordon Hayward, Robert Williams
With Williams being a defensive specialist, and the Celtics having wings that can do all their damage on offense, he can be a key to their most balanced lineup. Smart would also be a part of it, because he and Williams could do a lot of damage on that end, while leaving the wings to kill them on offense.
This lineup has two potential offensive liabilities, and that could be a problem. That being said, if Smart focuses on distribution, and wings think about creating for themselves, and Williams is able to run wild with easy looks, this lineup could absolutely lock down opponents on both ends.
Smart and Williams would make sure that they do not have to fear a dominant front court doing too much damage, because that kind of versatility will be able to make up for a lot.
If they are able to hold down the size on defense, then those wings will have matchups that can be abused in every single situation. This lineup might be the hardest to make work, and there will certainly be questions about chemistry. If, however, they could make it work, then this lineup will offer the kind of balance that maybe no other lineup on this roster can.
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