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(photo: CBS Sports)
99 percent of me wanted to leave this blog blank so to place an emphasis on a title which was both visually and mentally pleasing. That one percent, however, beckons me to write this piece, like how Celtics fans willed Brad Stevens to play Tacko Fall in their preseason opener.
To all those who #FellforFall, I apologize. This edition of Celtics Center Watch has Robert "Timelord" Williams under the microscope. Stick around and you'll see me breakdown his performance against the Charlotte Hornets while never duplicating his full name.
In case you needed a reminder, Bobby Williams was a projected lottery talent who almost slipped out of the first round due to a combination of health and mentality red flags. His physicals gifts remain elite, however, and Bob Williams suddenly finds himself with a chance to stumble into 20 minute per night and the title of "starting center" for the Cs. So, how did her fair versus the Hornets?
"Promising, but not so hot." That quote doubles as both an answer to the rhetorical question in the previous paragraph and how every girl I've dated describes my looks. Williams began the first quarter a solid screen and roll that resulted in a lob dunk crafted to display his athleticism. In fact, his screens were noticeably strong in both placement, timing and stature. If Robby Williams brings this into the regular season then Coach Stevens will secure him as lynchpin in multiple ballhandler lineups.
Shortly after, however, the ugly set in. There were multiple, inexcusable mistakes while defending Cody Zeller. A non-shooting threat from deep, Zeller has attempted a mere 38 triples over his six professional seaons. Yet, Williams was over-eager to defend him so far from the basket. It resulted in - and I these were never words I thought I would type - Zeller hitting Lord Timeth with a nasty crossover before making a driving layup.
This cannot happen in the regular season. Perhaps the second year big was nervous; a sensible notion. Still, there were some other pressing IQ issues as well. Williams still attempts to block attackers with the wrong hand and yes, it is as awkward to watch as it sounds. He was asleep on several possessions and on one specific lapse you could hear what seemed like the entire bench yell at Williams to slide over towards the rim.
On some occasions 'Bert Williams reminds me of a trick I play on my mom. Whenever I make a protein shake, and the frozen berries are in the blender, I ask my mom some mundane question. The moment she replies I turn on the blender, drowning her voice out. This trick has been happening for years and of course, my mother caught on. Yet, she still tries to squeeze in her response in an impossible attempt to beat out the noise of the blender.
Bobby Willz is a little too reminiscent of my mom. He is painfully aware that his 7-foot-5 wingspan was welded onto that bouncy, beefy frame for a sole purpose: sending layup attempts into the cheat seats. However, Williams sees my blender trick coming and still cannot help himself from walking right into it. Too many times did he reach for passes when he should have stayed home, leave his feet when he should have stayed grounded, and protect the paint when he should have hedged out. The demons are AAU past haunt Williams and it is up to Stevens to exorcise those evil spirits.
There is hope, though. Of course, I will make the video clips necessary to demonstrate these mishaps and post them on my Twitter account. But once you get through watching them, stay tuned for the positives. After all, Williams displayed magnificent timing on a chasedown block and tantalized fans as his wingspan consistently altered floaters and at-rim attempts.
My synopsis: RTW needs reps. Can Al Horford upload his IQ to the Cloud only for Williams to download it? Stevens may chalk these mistakes up to nerves, which is entirely plausible. If so, look for Stevens to continue starting Williams until those butterflies disappear. The best, ableit most frustrating and poetic cure for Williams could be, well, time.