Post by Admin on Mar 5, 2022 16:09:58 GMT -5
Boston's Dave Cowens is a big fan of Robert Williams III's growth as a player
(AP Photo/Charles Krupa) By Justin Quinn
If there’s anyone who knows Boston Celtics big men, it’s Hall of Fame Celtics center Dave Cowens, who won two titles with the team in the 1970s as a player. And current Boston big man on the come-up Robert Williams III has caught the eye of the champion, who recently sat down with Heavy’s NBA insider Steve Bulpett to talk about the Timelord, and how Cowens has grown to become a big fan of his game.
The former league MVP had reached out to Bulpett to check in on the state of affairs with his former team and league, and after some conversation, the topic of discussion turned to the Texas A&M product and his recent leap.
“I’ve enjoyed seeing the improvement of the big guy, Rob Williams,” said Cowens.
“I’ve really enjoyed watching him get better,” he added. “And what it tells me is that he takes the game seriously, and he wants to get better and he’s a pro.”
“That’s what I like about him. He’s really effective.”
“I also think he’s learning a lot from Horford,” continued Cowens.
“I’ve always liked Al because of his skill set and that he’s not afraid to mix it up. And neither one of those guys bitch and moan about anything. They just sort of take the game as it is and try to be good team players. But you don’t see them complaining to the referees or something like that as much as some other guys.”
“They both have good attitudes,” he suggested. “And they complement Tatum and Brown, who have the ball quite a bit.”
“If you’re a big guy, especially today, you’re going to get a lot of your points off missed shots,” continued the recently-named member of the NBA’s 75th-anniversary team.
“If you like to rebound, you like to be in the middle of everything, that’s the place to go. That’s how you get there is by getting up ahead and moving people around. Guys can’t hit you or screen you out as easily, so you’ve got more mobility. And those two guys are pretty mobile and they’ve got good hands.”
“They just seem to have a real knack for the game,” suggested Cowens of Horford and Williams.
“I’m impressed with the young guy in terms of his ability to get to the right spot to get open,” added the former Celtic center. “He slides and he knows how to take advantage of the openings that are presented to him.”
“I’ve seen a lot of improvement. He’s a big reason why they’re able to maintain offensive continuity.”
Williams near-meteoric rise to prominence for Boston this season is getting harder to ignore by the game as he expands his game and his confidence grows.
For all the clamor of the need for the Celtics to find a third star in order to make the leap to a true contender, it is increasingly looking like maybe the only thing the team needs to get one is more reps, patience — and the Timelord.
