Robert Williams couldn’t have asked for better mentors in his rookie season.
Williams, the 27th overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, had the luxury of learning from fellow big men Al Horford and Aron Baynes. Williams’ time with the pair of veterans was limited to one season, but it’s clear both respected veterans left quite an impression on the 21-year-old over that short time.
Speaking with The Boston Globe’s Adam Himmelsbach, Williams revealed what he learned from Horford and Baynes last season. Horford, in particular, took Williams aback via his offensive savvy.
“I learned kind of how to make my moves effective,” Williams said of Horford. “Like, Al isn’t the fastest person, but one thing that always amazed me about him was any time he got the ball, even if you knew what he was doing, it’s effective as hell. I kind of took to that. He taught me how to really put an emphasis on my moves.
Williams continued: “And watching Baynes showed me the importance of just going straight up on defense instead of swiping down. Honestly, I don’t even always have to block it. Making them alter it is a great solution too.”
The Texas A&M appears to continue to be a sponge as he tries to make a name for himself in the NBA. In fact, he learned quite a bit from Tacko Fall during their time together in this year’s summer league.
