Report: Robert Williams III working on rebuilt shooting form

Robert Williams III has a long, NBA ready center body with athleticism to spare. Metaphorically though, he’s one huge piece of clay and the coaching staff is molding him into what they hope will be a productive player for the Boston Celtics.

One thing the Celtics have done with their big men is to encourage them to shoot from range. It opens up the floor and presents defenses with difficult decisions. Al Horford has been building his 3 point shot for a few years to the point where he’s one of the best shooting bigs in the game. Aron Baynes surprised everyone last year by unveiling a 3 point shot in the playoffs (and he’s still shooting the ball well into this year).

Can Williams follow suit? He’s trying to.

Jay King of The Athletic reports:

One focus for Williams has been tearing down and rebuilding the shooting form that left him a 47.1 percent free throw shooter last season in college. The process involved breaking down film, experimenting with different release points and ultimately working on muscle memory with a new form that felt comfortable to Williams. For the first month or month-and-a-half, the rookie didn’t do anything outside of form shooting and free throws. But now, barely more than four months after the Celtics drafted Williams, the difference is obvious.

So how does it look? Judge for yourself.

Of course this doesn’t mean he’s going to be reigning 3’s in live action any time soon. But it is fun to see him expand his skill set and add dimensions to his game.