For some people, knee injuries on big men are like garlic to vampires in that they ward one off with vigor. Such seems to be the case with the Sporting News’ Stephen Noh, who has ranked starting Boston Celtics big man Robert Williams III the 11th-best center in the NBA for the 2022-23 season.
Noh has the Timelord just above the Milwaukee Bucks’ Brook Lopez and behind the Indiana Pacers’ Myles Turner and (also, oddly, oft-injured) Washington Wizards center Kristaps Porzingis in his latest assessment of the best 5s in the league in the campaign to come.
“Williams is one of the best athletes in the league,” reasons Noh. “He covers immense ground defensively, making it extremely difficult to score anywhere near the rim.”
“He’s also a terrific lob threat and underrated passer. Another offseason surgery on his knee is troubling, though,” adds the Sporting News analyst.
That seems unusually low for a big man who was able to help his team reach the 2022 NBA Finals even not at 100%, but we understand how injury concerns and the likely absence of nearly a quarter to a third of the season could cause such trepidation.
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Story originally appeared on Celtics Wire
