After suffering a right knee injury, news broke that Portland Trail Blazers big man Robert Williams will miss the remainder of the 2023-24 NBA season. Williams, along with Malcolm Brogdon, was traded by the Boston Celtics to the Trail Blazers in a package for Jrue Holiday. This was the aftermath of the Damian Lillard trade that sent him to the Milwaukee Bucks, one of the biggest trades in the NBA all year. On the season, Williams played in six games, averaging 6.8 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks per game. Williams is a defensive anchor when healthy. Hopefully for him and the Portland Trail Blazers franchise, Williams comes back better and healthier than ever.
Robert Williams III is undergoing right knee surgery and will miss the remainder of the season, per @wojespn pic.twitter.com/vlExZLppf9
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) November 10, 2023
NBA News: Former Boston Celtics Big is Out for the Season
Robert Williams Career Breakdown
The Boston Celtics drafted Williams out of Texas A&M with the 27th pick in the 2018 draft. Williams was a potential lottery pick, but he slipped in the draft due to his work ethic. Even so, there was no doubt Williams could wreak havoc in Boston’s frontcourt. Shortly after he was drafted, news broke that Williams had an artery condition in both legs, potentially another reason he slipped in the NBA draft.
In his rookie season, Williams played sporadic minutes and averaged 2.5 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks per game. Williams started the final game of the regular season and scored two points, grabbed 11 rebounds, and recorded three blocks. The Louisiana native fouled out in 29 minutes of play in the win.
Williams was mostly used as depth behind a rotation of big men until March 2021. After a plethora of trades, Williams became the team’s starting center during the 2020-21 NBA season. On the season, “Timelord” started 13 of 52 games played, averaging 8 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks per game. In the 2021 playoffs, Williams averaged 3 blocks per game in 3 games played. This was just the beginning of Williams’ breakout with the Celtics, however. In 2022, Williams played and started all 61 games he appeared in. En route to an All-NBA Defensive Second Team selection, Williams averaged 10 points, 9.6 rebounds, and 2.2 blocks per game. Williams also averaged 29.6 minutes per game, which is still a career high for the big man.
Last season, Williams averaged 8 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks per game over 35 games played.
The Last Word on Robert Williams
Despite Williams’ clear talent and fit with Boston, his injuries, especially to his left knee, were a major concern for the Celtics. By the end of the 2022-23 season, Williams appeared in only 209 games in five seasons, excluding playoffs. Williams only played in just 53.6% of games Boston played throughout his Celtics tenure. Even when Williams was active, he was regularly on a time restriction. This led to the team making one of their more shocking trades in recent memory and moving on from him just before the start of the NBA season.
Williams quickly became a fan favorite in Boston. Although injuries kept him from fulfilling his potential, it was easy for Celtics nation to root for him. The news that Williams will miss the rest of the NBA season is devastating. No other way around it. The next steps for the 26-year-old are for him to undergo surgery and return for Portland next season. Thankfully, the Texas A&M alum should make a full recovery.
