There's no question Rob Williams has made some serious progress this season. The raw talent that's always been there is finally turning into something more. But how much more exactly?
If you're of the mind that one stat tells the whole story of a player — like those who swear by WAR in baseball — Time Lord has turned into one of the most dominant forces in the NBA. As of Thursday morning, Time Lord is leading the league with a 142.9 offensive rating.
But it doesn't stop there. As it turns out, Williams is also the NBA's leader in defensive rating (101.1), just narrowly ahead of Rudy Gobert (101.4). Now, if you're wondering why Gobert is right behind Williams in both categories, you are, in fact, onto something.
We won't get too far into the weeds of how offensive and defensive ratings are calculated, but just know that offensive rebounds are a significant part of the former and both blocks and defensive rebounds are a big part of the latter. Which is why Ivica Zubac has the sixth-highest offensive rating in the NBA and Kevin Looney has the third-highest defensive rating.
While I'm not as interested in the offensive rating given the company he has atop the list, Williams' defensive rating is absolutely noteworthy. As much as Gobert's defensive prowess hasn't manifested into a title run out in Utah, it's undeniable that having a force in the paint on the defensive end makes a big difference. Perhaps if he were playing with a greater offensive star then things would be different. But when it comes to Williams, if nothing else, this is further indication he is progressing in the right direction.
