Jayson Tatum Predicts DPOY Honors For Celtics Teammate Rob Williams

It’s no secret that Robert Williams is one of Jayson Tatum’s favorite teammates.

The third-year center for the Boston Celtics arguably has been their most consistent player, even before the team turned things around to win 11 of their last 17 games.

Still, the Celtics sit as the No. 8 seed. So while Jayson Tatum was named to his third-straight All-Star Game, Boston’s 29-25 record means he’s the only player who will represent the Celtics in Cleveland as of Friday.

There’s still a chance for 2021 All-Star Jaylen Brown, who Tatum said he’d reach out to Silver on his behalf. But Tatum thinks another one of his teammates will make an All-Star game in the near future.

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“I mean, Rob.” Tatum said before Friday’s game against the Detroit Pistons. “I feel like I talk about Rob every day, but he deserves it and maybe All-Star aside, I think Rob has the potential to win Defensive Player of the Year one year, one of these days. I think that’s in his future coming up.”

That’s high praise, but Williams puts up some ridiculous box scores. In 13 games in the month of January, he averaged 9.2 points, 10.8 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.2 steals and 2.5 blocks.

“I think he’s on the right path,” Tatum said. “I think, like I said, when we get back to being that one or two seed and Rob keeps evolving, I don’t see why we couldn’t get two or three players. Rob being in that core group for us of making us be the best version of ourselves. I’m not even sure Rob believes he can be an All-Star, but he definitely can one of these days.”

Williams has elite athleticism already, but his skill set is evolving as he gets comfortable communicating on both ends of the ball.

“I think Rob has that kind of potential, especially just to affect the game without really having the ball,” Tatum said.

“He can have that type of impact on the game.”