The Boston Celtics blew a 25-point lead against the New York Knicks, losing on a buzzer-beating 3-pointer that dropped them three games under .500. However, since then, the Celtics have quietly begun putting things together as the NBA trade deadline continues to approach.
They have won seven of their next 10 games following that meltdown, pushing back over the .500 mark at 25-24 and moving into ninth place in the Eastern Conference. They are only four games behind the Philadelphia 76ers to move into sixth place and out of the NBA Play-In Tournament, something every team is aspiring to do.
With how bunched-up things are in the Eastern Conference, the Celtics are likely going to buyers ahead of the deadline. They want to upgrade the roster around Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, not break that duo up.
While they are the face of the franchise, there is seemingly another person emerging as a core piece of the team; starting center, Robert Williams III. Williams took over the starting center spot this season and has hit the ground running.
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He is having a breakout campaign, averaging 9.9 points, 9.4 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per game. All of those numbers would be career-highs along with the 2.1 assists, 0.9 steals, 73.8 percent from the field and 69.4 percent from the foul line.
Organizations around the league are taking notice of Williams’ breakout as well. On a recent episode of The HoopsHype Podcast, it was revealed that Williams is drawing interest from teams trying to trade for him, but the Celtics are not interested in making a deal.
Robert Williams has drawn interest around the league from teams, but rival executives believe Boston will hold onto Williams and view him as part of the core around Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.
The Texas A&M product is an excellent fit alongside the Celtics’ two ball-dominant stars in Tatum and Brown. He does all of the dirty work on the interior and is transforming into one of the elite paint presences in the league.
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At only 24-years old, Robret Williams still has plenty of room to grow. If he doesn’t accomplish it this season, it would not be a surprise if he is averaging a double-double with multiple blocks and at least one steal per game. He has game-changing ability defensively and is someone the Boston Celtics are rightfully making a part of their core.
