Projection and potential can be dangerous things when attempting to build roster foundations. The examples of these sort of forks the road are littered throughout the Boston sports landscape.
Fortunately for the Celtics, it appears as though pushing their chips to the middle of the table on one player was actually a good bet.
For that, they can thanks Robert Williams.
There were certainly no guarantees Williams would land where we find him today - as a legitimate offensive and defensive weapon for the Celtics. In his three previous seasons, there were hints, but there were also just as many stops and starts.
For Brad Stevens, however, there was just enough to suggest the guy who is now leading all of the NBA in field-goal percentage was on the horizon. That's why the 24-year-old is currently living life with a four-year, $48 million contract.
The ultimate reminder of the payoff when it comes to Williams arrived during the 104-88 win over the Raptors at TD Garden. It was a win that saw the center score 16 points (8-of-11 from the floor) and grab 13 rebounds (8 of them were on the offensive end).
“With Rob, that was something I pointed out to him a few games ago,” Celtics coach Ime Udoka said. “I felt like he wasn’t going as hard as he could to the offensive glass, he was kind of just standing behind guys. Showed him some film and talked to him about the effort it takes and how he can impact the game, so he has really worked on that over the last few games.
“Obviously his athleticism and his effort there have been great but something he was just a little stagnant in the weak-side dunker early in the season, and now he is really working to make guys pay. We’ve got guys going to the basket. Most teams in the league are over helping, shifting, and he can just clean up on the weak side. So something he has taken to heart and he’s done a great job at.”
The entire package was what Danny Ainge could only dream of when taking Williams with the 27th pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, and what Stevens hoped for when riding out those first three years.
There were signs last season, with Williams averaging eight points and 18.9 minutes per game while appearing in 52 contests. But this year has been next-level, with the Texas A&M product going for 10.6 points and 8.8 rebounds a game while averaging a whopping 31.2 minutes.
He is seemingly the perfect fit for Udoka's system - a big man who can protect the rim, but is athletic enough to execute the a defensive philosophy that relies on constant switching.
The Celtics have started to define themselves as a defense-oriented team - as was evident once again in the win over the win over the Raptors - and Williams is a big part of that equation.
"He’s finally stepping into his own," said Celtics guard Marcus Smart, "and we’re excited for him. He’s excited to continue to progress and keep going and only help himself and better this team. So we love everything Rob’s doing. Like I said, we’re excited for him. Everything that he does for this team is much needed and we very much appreciate it."