When Robert Williams obtained the ball inside the submit on a play all through a victory over the Raptors remaining week, the Celtics center heard a loud voice from his sideline.
It was Joe Mazzulla.
“’Rating the (expletive) ball!” Williams talked about his coach yelled at him.
“It simply reassured me that we’re going to want these issues and my teammates do, too.”
Because the playoffs begin this weekend, the Celtics are asking far more from their gifted center. After missing the first 29 video video games of the season recovering from knee surgical process after which quite a few further video video games managing the knee together with a hamstring hurt in March, Williams is ready to go and seemingly ramped up bodily to start out the playoffs.
That’s clearly an infinite distinction from remaining 12 months for the time being, when he missed the final word seven widespread season video video games after which the first two video video games of the playoffs due to a torn meniscus.
“I’m feeling good bodily,” Williams talked about. “I’m in a great mindset in comparison with final yr, going via what I used to be going via. I’m simply anxious.”
The Celtics had been naturally cautious with Williams, thought of considered one of their most important players who impressed remaining 12 months’s turnaround and ensuing run to the NBA Finals. Now, after dealing with quite a few accidents all season, he’s healthful on the right time and the Celtics seem proud of how they managed him. He carried out 31 minutes and 25 minutes, respectively, in remaining week’s two wins over the Raptors sooner than sitting out the season finale.
“I’m actually inspired he’s performed the minutes he’s performed within the final couple of video games,” Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens talked about on Sunday. “It’s such a stability as you get late within the yr of getting applicable relaxation and doing that via the minor accidents that everyone’s received, and ramping up and ensuring that you simply play sufficient video games at playoff minutes, ensuring you may have sufficient actual apply classes that problem you. I feel that’s actually necessary.”
The Celtics need Williams of their pursuit of a championship, and they also’re hoping he can have an effect on both facet of the ball. Defensively, Williams is among the many best inside the league, nevertheless he’s been challenged to develop his recreation offensively. The center has on a regular basis been a ready passer, nevertheless with so many scorers spherical him, he’s needed some encouragement to be further aggressive.
“There are occasions we do want these straightforward two seals or two dunks a sport to take stress off our scorers,” Williams talked about.
“When Rob performs, when he’s a constant risk on the rim, it simply takes our crew to an entire new degree,” Al Horford added. “That final sport we performed towards Toronto, I assumed he was making an effort simply to have an effect. And we all know that he has that functionality. And I’m excited to see him try this now within the postseason.”
Williams has on a regular basis operated with a team-first mentality, whether or not or not it’s been coming off the bench this season or rising his recreation to what the group needs. At events, that’s required a push. However he’s embracing the issue.
“(Mazzulla has) stubborn me out greater than as soon as to attain the ball,” Williams talked about. “We’ve all obtained to return collectively and attain the aim. …
“I like to just accept the challenges and he will be sincere with me. He will be sincere with all of us as associated to scoring the ball. Simply issues like that, man. And it lets me know he has confidence in me.”
Room for improvement
After some early-season inconsistencies, the Celtics accomplished the season with a 110.6 defensive rating, second inside the NBA behind the Cavaliers. They’re peaking on the right time on that end, with the proper defensive rating inside the league over the previous 15 video video games. However they’re undoubtedly not glad.
“Though the numbers say that we completed second, I truly do consider that there’s numerous room for enchancment for our group,” Horford talked about. “And I consider that we’ll try this. So I’m excited. It’s a problem for us. However we undoubtedly need to be higher, defensively.”
The Celtics have had just a few of their best defensive efforts of the season over the last few weeks and they also’re hopeful that will proceed into their first playoff assortment, notably after it carried them to the Finals remaining June.
“I really feel like we by no means left it,” Williams talked about. “I really feel like we at all times hung our hat on protection. It’s a straightforward effort, it’s an issue should you can’t give effort. It’s one thing all of us anticipate out of one another. We’ve been making large steps on the offensive facet of the ball and that’s nice however you by no means attempt to downplay the protection.”
Brown to comply with shortly
Jaylen Brown – who suffered a correct finger laceration remaining week and missed the final word two video video games – didn’t comply with on Tuesday nevertheless is anticipated to take motion Thursday or Friday sooner than Saturday’s Recreation 1.
“It’s getting higher,” Mazzulla talked about. “He wasn’t capable of apply as we speak however he was on the market for every part. Nonetheless no restrictions, you understand, heading into Recreation 1.”
Marcus Good may also be on monitor to be ready for Recreation 1 after missing the ultimate three video video games with a neck hurt. He practiced on Tuesday.
“He’s good. He’s ramped up,” Mazzulla talked about. “He was nice as we speak in apply, went stay, he stated he felt good, so he’ll be able to go.”
