Since the rise of Stephen Curry and the Warriors dynasty, Draymond Green has been touted as the player “The most important” of his team. A purely honorary label and probably not quite true but which serves above all to highlight the work of the shadow of a basketball player who sticks to all the small thankless tasks essential to success. A bit like Chris Bosh at the Heat at one time or PJ Tucker at the Bucks last season.The Celtics also have their Draymond Green, except that he is taller and more athletic.
Robert Williams does not have quite the same profile but he has the same role as the interior All-Star of Golden State. He is the engine of the best defense in the entire NBA. He is even his centerpiece, even more than Marcus Smart, yet winner of the Defender of the Year trophy. “Rob really makes all the difference for usadmits Al Horford. Really. We are very lucky to have a guy like him who impacts the game the way he does. It goes way beyond the numbers. It’s all the little things he brings. I am so impressed with his ability to continue to progress and learn. We ask a lot of him and he always ends up finding a solution. What he does goes well beyond what you can read on the stat sheet.“Another commonality with Green.
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A presence that breaks the Warriors’ plans
Curry was excellent in the first three meetings of the NBA Finals and yet the Warriors only won one. A success which coincides, and this is no coincidence, with the awakening of Green. On the other hand, they lost the two matches in which he came through. The same parallel can be drawn for Williams in Boston.
As soon as he is physically able to play more than 20 minutes, his team wins. Because he does too much damage each time he passes the field. “We have to be careful where he is on the court and who he is defending because he can really come out of nowhere. We underestimated his athletic potential and ability to challenge shots“, even admits Curry. The Celtics center scores fewer points than all the other members of the major five. And yet, his name comes up frequently during the Warriors’ pre-game tactical points. He makes life difficult for them by coming completely out of the racket.
Steve Kerr’s players took 40 three-point shots in Game 3. Because they had no more solutions to put baskets. Robert Williams locked them out of the circle and the Celtics ended up limiting their opponents to 11 points in the fourth quarter. With Curry or Klay Thompson, the Warriors may have the two best snipers in history. They are obviously capable of planting from afar. But the mere presence of Williams under the circle almost forces them to no longer diversify their attack and to be content with opting for a single strategy.
The interior isn’t even that big – 2.03m – but his arms are sprawling and he’s extremely athletic. As soon as a player tumbles towards the basket, he springs up to cut him off. He’s even mobile enough to back up on Curry’s pick-and-roll, a normally suicidal choice since it gives him space to shoot three-pointers, while still having the ability to get in the way with his foot speed and his long arms. “It’s not just the shots he’s going to counter but also all the shots he’s going to contest“, insists his coach Ime Udoka to explain what makes him so special. The Warriors have already missed a bunch of layups in this series and there is a lot to do with it.
The health of Robert Williams, the X factor of these NBA finals
Especially since he also dominates in rebounds, both offensively and defensively. Even on offense, he’s a threat with the ability for the Celtics to swing the ball to him near the basket and let him dunk. Williams was particularly effective in Game 3 with 8 points on 4 of 5 on shots, 10 rebounds, 4 blocks and 3 steals for a differential of +21, the best of the game. “He was amazing. And that’s what he’s been doing for us since the start of the season. That’s why our defense is what it is, thanks to its ability to protect the paint“, Recognizes Smart. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown may have each planted more than 25 points, all the players in the meeting interviewed at a press conference lingered on the performance of the Celtics pivot.
Robert Williams III, le pivot des Boston Celtics
Credit: Getty Images
Because it radiates more than statistics. When he’s there, it shows. “Rob is an excellent defender. When healthy he is one of the best players in the league on this side of the court“, adds Brown. When he is there. When he is healthy. A paramount parameter. his early career was disrupted by physical glitches. He is still embarrassed today. He was downright limited to 15 short minutes in Game 2… the one won by the Warriors. He must be able to withstand the shock until the end of the series.
In the end, Curry is probably an even bigger player than Green at Golden State. Without Steph, the Warriors wouldn’t be here. Same in Boston with Tatum. But it’s essential for the Celtics to have a man as valuable as Draymond Green. Except the difference is that the Warriors don’t have a player like Robert Williams. That’s why he might just be the most important element of these NBA Finals.
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