Ime Udoka Reveals Major Injury Update on Celtics’ Robert Williams

Getty Robert Williams of the Boston Celtics.

The Boston Celtics just wrapped up a treacherous series against the Milwaukee Bucks with a Game 7 win on Sunday night. Now, they are set to take on the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals for the second time in the last three years.

Despite their postseason success thus far, Boston has been without starting center Robert Williams for the majority of the playoffs. Williams has only appeared in five of the Celtics’ 12 playoff games, averaging 20.2 minutes per game.

However, as Boston gets set to take on the Heat, who finished the regular season with the top record in the East, it’s looking like Williams will be back in action. According to head coach Ime Udoka, the young center is available to play in Game 1 and will have no minutes restriction.

“Rob is available just like he was last night. I mentioned he’d be on a needed basis. He’s available, no minute restriction,” Udoka revealed. “You know, I’m always gonna be a little bit cautious with guys coming off of a layoff without touching the court, but it’s a little bit different starting a new series as opposed to being injected into a Game 7 or Game 6 or whatever the case was before. But, he’s available, looking better every day, and getting more confident.”

PlayIme Udoka: Marcus Smart is QUESTIONABLE For Game 1 vs Heat | Celtics PracticeBRIGHTON, MA — Ime Udoka was interviewed on Monday the day after Boston’s 109-81 win over the Milwaukee Bucks in Game 7 of the 2nd round. The Celtics will now move on to the Eastern Conference Finals to face off against the Miami Heat on Tuesday. Udoka told Bobby Manning of CLNS Media that Marcus… 2022-05-16T18:57:10Z

Having Williams back should provide the Celtics with a massive boost. He was a key cog in their defensive scheme all throughout the regular season and made the biggest leap of his young career.

Williams’ DPOY-Caliber Regular Season

While Williams’ unique defensive skills were the highlight of his regular season, this year was a massive leap for him in terms of playing time. Williams appeared in more games than ever (61), starting in all of them and notching a career-high 29.6 minutes.

Williams put together a season that earned him Defensive Player of the Year love in those minutes. The 24-year-old finished seventh in the voting, receiving one first-place vote and one second-place vote. Marcus Smart, Williams’ Celtics teammate, was the award’s eventual winner.

Coach Udoka put Williams in a unique position to succeed this season. Instead of having Williams guard opposing centers as he has in the past, the big man has been placed in the corner on defense. This allowed him to rotate over and help on drives. In turn, Williams averaged a career-high 2.2 blocks, which ranked second in the NBA.

While Williams didn’t have an amazing series against the Bucks (he only played in three games), Miami should be a better matchup for the young center.

How Williams Fares Against the Heat

Williams appeared in two of Bostons’ three games against the Heat this season. The center averaged 8.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 1.5 steals, and 1.0 blocks. Boston went 2-0 in the games Williams played in and lost the one game in which he did not appear.

The young big man helped the Celtics shut down Miami’s offense in the two games he played. In the two games Williams appeared in, the Heat shot just 36.9% from the field and 30.6% from three-point range. Miami was dealing with a plethora of injuries in one of the two games, but those numbers are impressive regardless.

Whether or not Williams will return to the starting lineup against Miami is yet to be determined. Starting lineups will be announced in the hours leading up to Game 1, which will take place on Tuesday at 8:30 p.m. EST. The contest can be streamed on ESPN.