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Boston Celtics rookie Robert Williams made his G League debut on Friday night in the Maine Red Claws season opening loss to the Westchester Knicks. In 24 minutes, Williams had 11 points on 5/5 shooting, 10 rebounds, and 3 blocks.
Williams looked strong in the 95-92 loss, while playing under a 24 minute restriction. Williams was impressive on the glass and very solid around the rim all night. He made an immediate impact by scoring the Red Claws’ first two buckets of the season.
Williams’ length is something that was focused on during the pre-draft process, and it’s been a major part of his game in the small amount of action we’ve seen. The 6’10 forward can impact shots even when he’s away from the ball. His athleticism on the glass caused problems for the Knicks’ G League affiliate, and gave us a promising look at what he can bring to Boston’s frontcourt.
Williams was back with the Celtics this morning for the team’s shootaround at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. The Texas A&M product told NBC Sports Boston’s Abby Chin that he woke up at 4:20 AM to catch his flight to Indianapolis.
Head coach Brad Stevens noted on Saturday morning that Williams’ return to the team is related to Daniel Theis’ injury. Rather than sending the rookie to Maine for a few weeks, the Celtics feel that they’ll need Williams moving forward until Theis returns.
Stevens on Robert Williams coming back from Maine: "I think Theis’s injury made it so it wouldn’t be, ‘Hey, send him up there for a couple of weeks.’ Or, have him stay up for Sunday’s game, even. We felt like we needed to get him back here."
— Adam Himmelsbach (@AdamHimmelsbach) November 3, 2018
The Celtics face the Indiana Pacers tonight at 7:00 PM EST at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.