Robert Williams could make his return to the Celtics lineup on Tuesday
Williams has been out since March 1 due to a hamstring injury.
Even though the Celtics’ have hit a bit of a rough patch recently, they might have some good news coming their way soon.
Center Robert Williams could return to action for Tuesday’s game against the Kings after being out for some time due to a hamstring injury, coach Joe Mazzulla told reporters on Saturday.
“He was on the court today working,” Mazzulla said. “I spoke to him yesterday and he seemed like he was in a good space. He seemed like he was getting closer.”
Williams’s pending return is certainly good news for the Celtics, who have gone 4-5 in their last nine games, including the March 1 game against the Nets when Williams got hurt.
Williams’s absence loomed large in the Celtics’ loss to the Jazz on Saturday. Utah gathered 17 offensive rebounds, leading to a whopping 20 second-chance points in its 118-117 win over Boston.
While Williams hasn’t played much this season due to undergoing knee surgery right before training camp, he’s still been one of the Celtics’ most impactful players. Williams’s 106.8 defensive rating is the second-best on the team this season among players who’ve played at least 20 games (only Payton Pritchard, who’s been in and out of the rotation has a better defensive rating). Williams’s 9.9 net rating is also tied with Derrick White’s for the best on the team. He also holds a 116.7 offensive rating.
For comparison, the Celtics have a 115.5 offensive rating and a 112.2 defensive rating in March, giving them a 3.3 net rating in the month.
Williams is scoring 8.4 points and grabbing 8.6 rebounds while blocking 1.2 shots per game, playing an average of 24.2 minutes.