It isn’t surprising that Boston Celtics center Robert Williams has a lot to learn about his new teammate Mike Muscala.
But the 6-foot-10 forward isn’t a complete mystery to Williams, either.
Williams already knows one key aspect Muscala, who the Celtics acquired from the Oklahoma City Thunder on Thursday ahead of the NBA trade deadline, can bring on the court to Boston.
“I know he’s a sniper. That’s what I know about him right now,” Williams told reporters during Friday’s shootaround, per NBC Sports Boston. “He’ll be able to space the floor, man. Be able to space other teams’ bigs. So, it’ll be good for us.”
Williams’ description of Muscala is accurate. The 31-year-old, who is in his 10th year in the NBA, is shooting 39.4% from beyond the arc on 3.3 attempts per game this season.
That effectiveness from deep isn’t an anomaly. Muscala knocked down 3-pointers at a 42.9% clip a season ago and is a career 37.9% shooter from downtown.
Muscala is also added insurance to try to keep Al Horford and Williams as fresh as possible heading into the postseason. While Horford hasn’t played in back-to-backs this season, he has logged a ton of miles throughout his 16 seasons in the league and is playing 30.8 minutes per game this season, which is his highest total in five years. And with Williams, his health is always a major question mark even with the Celtics being very cautious with his playing time.
So, Muscala might provide more benefits for the Celtics than just sinking a couple of 3-pointers whenever called upon.
“It’s a big addition to our team,” Williams said. “It will help us a lot. Know that he’s a guy that wants to win. Played against him before. Giving Al that little break he might need (going) into the playoffs.”
