The Boston Celtics are playing the waiting game as they prepare for the NBA postseason, and truth be told, they have been for a while.
Boston clinched the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference with three games remaining on its schedule, prompting a week-long wait to find out its first-round opponent that will culminate Tuesday night. Over the course of that stretch, the Celtics did have to play out the remainder of their schedule, allowing for final preparations that were full of teaching and learning opportunities.
The two Celtics at the forefront of those opportunities? Joe Mazzulla and Robert Williams III.
Williams, who missed 47 games during the regular season, was perhaps the player with most to gain over Boston’s home stretch. His placement in the lineup varied over the course of the season, as he started just 20 of the 35 games he appeared in.
There’s no doubt that Williams has importance to the Celtics lineup, as they’ve made that very clear, but Mazzulla is clearly looking for a little more.
“I don’t know if you guys heard (in my last game), but I caught the ball in the post and Joe yelled from the bench, ‘Score the (expletive) ball,’ ” Williams told reporters Tuesday, per Brian Robb of MassLive.
The game Williams was referring to — a shorthanded blowout win over the Toronto Raptors — was a solid coming-out party for the 25-year-old on the offensive end. Though he’s always been an effective rim runner, the Celtics have made it clear they’d like for him to develop inside and become a better post player on that end. Williams’ eight-point, two-offensive rebound performance in just 25 minutes helped do that.
As the Celtics embark on what they hope is a long playoff run, Williams finding his offensive stride will be pivotal in their efforts to capture Banner 18. If he ever struggles to show up on that end, he’s sure to receive a (stern) reminder from Mazzulla.
