Inside The Celtics

As Robert Williams Works to Get Back to Full Strength, He Says There's 'No pain at all. Knee is responding well'

One of the many benefits to sweeping the Nets is the Celtics bought themselves more time for Robert Williams to build his stamina and return to full strength.

Bobby Krivitsky

Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Robert Williams' return to the court in Game 3 Saturday night in Brooklyn came ahead of schedule. Williams, who underwent a partial left knee meniscectomy to address a left knee meniscal tear, was operating on a four-to-six-week timeframe to rejoin the Celtics' lineup.

As hard as Williams worked to make sure he made a positive impact after not playing since Mar. 27, he acknowledged the difficulty in doing so, saying on Wednesday, two days after the Celtics completed their sweep of the Nets: "There's really nothing you can do to prepare for playing in an NBA game."

The Timelord also had to adjust to coming off the bench, saying of his approach, "I was trying to like, see where I could come in and improve the game the most...Just help the team, try to add to the great things that they were doing the whole series."

Williams, who logged 16 minutes in his return, first checked into Game 3 with 2:53 left in the opening quarter. He moved well in his first stint, then made his presence felt in the second frame, swatting an Andre Drummond shot and finishing an alley-oop from Jayson Tatum.

He didn't look as sharp in Game 4, but Williams contributed three points, five rebounds, and a steal in 14 minutes. That reflects the difficulty of the challenge Williams is taking on, but it's not where his focus is, saying Wednesday: "I don't really look at it as difficult because it was something I was willing to do...I was ready to play. I wanted to play."

The Timelord added: "When you've got to stop someone from scoring the ball, you don't really have time to think about your knee."

Wednesday, Ime Udoka stated returning in the first round is beneficial to Williams moving forward. Now, the goal is to work on his stamina.

"To get his wind back up will be big this week," expressed Udoka. "Going forward, we want to get him back to his normal rotation and minutes."

And as Williams builds to that goal, it was encouraging to hear him say on Wednesday: "No pain at all. Knee is responding well. On recovery days, it's responding well after a hard load, so that's good."

The Timelord added that he's "getting in the weight room a little bit more. Same treatment, same rehab I've been doing."

Fortunately for Williams and the Celtics, even if the Bucks finish off the Bulls Wednesday night, a second-round series between Boston and Milwaukee wouldn't start until Sunday, giving him valuable time to continue working to return to full strength.

Further Reading

Celtics Discuss Decision not to Avoid the Nets: 'I'm assuming a road to the championship is never easy'

What Stood Out in the Celtics' Game 4 Win: Without Tatum, Boston Fends Off Nets to Earn Sweep

What Stood Out from Game 3's Win vs. the Nets: Tatum and Brown Lead the Way While Celtics' Defense Shines as they Push Brooklyn to the Brink

What Stood Out from the Celtics' Win vs. Nets in Game 2: Boston Recaptures Offensive Identity, Rallies for 2-0 Series Lead

[Film Room] How the Celtics Held Kevin Durant to 23 Points, an Approach that Can't Change as the ROI Lessens

What Stood Out in Celtics' Win vs. Nets in Series Opener

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Bobby Krivitsky
BOBBY KRIVITSKY

Bobby Krivitsky's experiences include covering the NBA as a credentialed reporter for Basketball Insiders. He's also a national sports talk host for SportsMap Radio, a network airing on 96 radio stations throughout the country. Additionally, he was a major-market host, update anchor, and producer for IMG Audio, and he worked for Bleacher Report as an NFL and NBA columnist.

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