This crazy stat shows Robert Williams’ immense defensive value to Celtics originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
The primary reason for the Boston Celtics’ amazing turnaround since Jan. 1 has been the team’s improvement on defense. And no player has made a bigger impact on that side of the court than Robert Williams III.
The Celtics’ starting center is a legit Defensive Player of the Year candidate. He’s tied for the league lead in blocks with 2.2 per game. He ranks 14th with 9.8 rebounds per game and tied for third in defensive win shares (3.4). The Celtics’ 105.6 defensive rating is the best in the league.
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But the most impressive Williams stat illustrates how well he defends opponents’ shots, and how much better he does it compared to the rest of the league.
Check out the graphic below for an explanation:
Williams is a huge presence in the paint and always a threat to block/alter shots whether he’s the primary defender or helping over from the weak side.
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The concern with Williams throughout his career has been durability. He’s never played a full season as a pro and has battled a few different injuries. This season has been different in a positive way for the Celtics. Williams’ career high for games played in a single season was 52, and he’s already at 54 in 2021-22.
If the Celtics are going to make a deep playoff run this spring, they’ll need their defense to maintain this top-three level its played at since the calendar flipped to 2022. Williams staying healthy might be the biggest factor in that. He’s arguably the second-most valuable player on the team based on his stellar defense and rebounding.
