I Believe in Time Lord...Why Can't You?
- Thread starter Bernie Carbohydrate
- Start date
TL has looked awful on defense since coming back. Hopefully it's just a matter of timing and getting his legs under him.
It is probably time we noticed he is making midrange jumpers. I thought Doug Christie as color guy for the Clips noted the Celtics bigs complement each other. I have noticed teams have been dropping off the bigs on handoff to understandably cheat on Tatum. Thompson has started bullling his way to the hoop, and TL has made the little jumper. Pretty important development. This has all com,e with Tatum attacking the rim more.
Maybe nobody else is in my time zone to watch last night.
Maybe nobody else is in my time zone to watch last night.
Yeah, the Celtics are also getting some lineups out there with more shooting, and it’s causing teams to hug up on shooters, leaving their bigs on an island.
I'm amazed that TL is even taking those. I think he was 2-3 last night: 2 of which were straight on 17 foot jumpers but the icing was the nice little 10 feet shot from the baseline, which you know is not an easy shot. It's great that Brad doesn't pull him when he takes those so I guess they've agreed he can make it.
I said this in the other thread but it seems to me that he stops and watches far too much for a guy with his kind of athletic ability - particularly his quick hands. If this is correct, I would think this annoys Brad way more than the jumpers.
He has always had that shot, but was looking to screen/roll or swing immediately like 100% of the time. He took a couple 15 foot jumpers before, like literally a couple. Doubt that Brad ever told him not to take that shot if he's totally disregarded. Good to see, since defenses playing 5 on 4 sucks for us.
He stripped Trae Young; I can't imagine many guys over 6'8" have been able to do that.
Highlights all focus on the double lob after the steal, but I thought the steal was the impressive part. He showed he can really get low and defend.
It's nearly pointless to compare per 36 minute stats when one guy is averaging 12.1 mpg and the other averaged 35.7, but why not: Hakeem averaged 1.8 steals and 3.1 blocks per 36, Williams is averaging 2.0 steals and 3.7 blocks per 36.
I don't know how much he can play conditioning wise, but what can we do to get this guy some more playing time? He seems to be 3rd on the C depth chart - which seems off to me. I know that he makes mistakes, but I'd rather see him make those mistakes and learn from them than sit on the bench. I'm also not a big fan of the 2 big lineup - and I know that TT has been playing better lately. Do the Celtics need to make a trade to free up the logjam?
Turns out Brad is acutely aware of TL's minutes (go figure!) and is trying to manage his health, particularly his hip: https://www.boston.com/sports/boston-celtics/2021/02/21/brad-stevens-celtics-robert-williams-minutes-restriction
That light workload is by design, according to Celtics coach Brad Stevens. Williams has been dealing with a hip issue, and he has an artery condition that causes cramping and could eventually require a procedure if it becomes a major issue. Boston is preemptively trying to keep him off the injury list and wants him available as the season stretches on.
“The hip is not bothering him, but we’re just trying to manage it over the course of the long season so that he’s available more often than not, and then able to peak in minutes late,” Stevens said. “So I guess it’s more of a just be alert to it. Obviously, he had the two games that he sat out because it was bothering him, but we’re just alert to it.”
I am guessing (hoping) that TL gets his first start on one of the back-to-back games this week.
TL should start seeing higher leverage minutes (along with Theis) as the season moves along. I'm fine with keeping all 3, depth is good.
BUT If they need to add Tristan as filler to attain a wing, that works since classic/beef centers are the easiest to pick up on the cheap. In a pinch Tacko can be our classic/beef/10min Center anyways.
Last night was:
Theis 38:44
Thompson 29:57
Williams 21:07
Without the OT, Williams would have been 16 minutes, which seems about what his usual time has been per game for reasons I don't quite understand. I'd like to see TT and RW switched in terms of minutes.
Yes. They also have smallball 5 GW in a pinch. Heck, he's played his best basketball as a Celtic at that position.
I think there will be some 3rd string centers available for nothing pretty soon. Was Cousins already released? Will Drummond be bought out (although he'd want more than a 3rd string role)?
GW is considerably worse than all 3. Of course if TT were gone, Theis and TL would just split the minutes barring foul trouble... so yeah, they'd need another big.
That's another thing that's overlooked too. All 3 play because all 3 are foul prone.
That's another thing that's overlooked too. All 3 play because all 3 are foul prone.
The C's are small as it is. Having Grant play the 5 makes it worse. Maybe you can steal some minutes in certain matchups but if you have Grant playing minutes at the 5 every night, you have some problems. I would also guess he picks up about 4 fouls in 10 minutes playing the 5, but he does that playing any position.
It's possible Grant is hurt but he's picked up a DNP-CD in 3 of the last 4 and with Nesmith playing better, I don't see that trend changing. He's been decent shooting the 3 this year but it's at low volume and he's been bad on the defensive end. He really doesn't seem to have a position in the NBA.
What kind of player do people think Grant Williams develops into? Something better than TT, Theis or Robert Williams? I thought it was pretty clear he's worse than all 3. So is Semi. That's why the team has problems. 3 of the top 8 players are interchangeable bigs.
Watching his health... though also, Thompson earned minutes in that game because he played excellent defense on Zion in the first half.
@Cesar Crespo
Gotcha. My Bad. I have been on such a RW3 kick lately I thought you were speaking about him.
Yea Grant aint good.
Gotcha. My Bad. I have been on such a RW3 kick lately I thought you were speaking about him.
Yea Grant aint good.
Athletic: Robert Williams’ strong play starting to outweigh risks for Celtics
"Gordon Hayward left, they used the mid-level exception on another center in Tristan Thompson. It wasn’t crazy for Boston to want an established big man at the time. Williams was coming off an inconsistent, injury-riddled season. But after 30 games, it’s clear the Celtics could have used more help on the perimeter rather than another center to block Williams from the court. Even Stevens has hinted he wishes the roster had been shaped differently.
“I’ve said this all year, one of the challenges of our team is that you get past our best perimeter players and the next probably three best guys as far as production goes so far on our team are at first blush (centers),” Stevens said."
"Gordon Hayward left, they used the mid-level exception on another center in Tristan Thompson. It wasn’t crazy for Boston to want an established big man at the time. Williams was coming off an inconsistent, injury-riddled season. But after 30 games, it’s clear the Celtics could have used more help on the perimeter rather than another center to block Williams from the court. Even Stevens has hinted he wishes the roster had been shaped differently.
“I’ve said this all year, one of the challenges of our team is that you get past our best perimeter players and the next probably three best guys as far as production goes so far on our team are at first blush (centers),” Stevens said."