Celtics Center Robert Williams Set to Make Season Debut Friday vs. Magic

From an orthopedic surgeon's insight to Joe Mazzulla's and reintegrating Robert Williams, everything you need to know on the eve of the Timelord's return to the Celtics lineup.

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Friday, the team with the best record in the NBA welcomes back one of its core members. According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, Robert Williams will make his season debut that night when the Celtics host the Magic.

Williams underwent a partial left knee meniscectomy to address a meniscus tear he suffered in late March last season. That procedure allowed him to return for the playoffs, where the Timelord was impactful, especially when there was more time between games, but clearly compromised and, at times, forced to sit out.

Taking a cautious approach with his left knee this offseason, as training camp neared and Williams exerted himself more, it became apparent his knee required examining.

That led to him having an arthroscopic knee procedure. After that, a PRP injection, which has a strong track record of proving a highly beneficial way to address articular cartilage damage or injury.

The timeline for the Timelord was 8-12 weeks before resuming basketball activities. Williams' season debut is 12 weeks from his arthroscopic knee procedure.

In an interview with Dr. Derek Ochiai, a board-certified orthopedic surgeon, who's fellowship trained in sports medicine, he conveyed the following of Williams' return and the injury risk associated with when it occurs.

"If he met all parameters for a return to play, the injury rate would be exactly the same chance as if he came back a month later or two months later or stayed out the rest of the season and came back next year; it would be the same."

Celtics' head coach Joe Mazzulla had this to say of Williams getting closer to suiting up in an appearance on Boston sports radio station's 98.5 The Sports Hub's "Zolak & Bertrand" on Wednesday.

"(He's) made huge strides, especially in the last week and a half or so, and so we're constantly kind of measuring how he responds to the five-on-five setting, taking a day off, then having a workout session, and then another five-on-five. He's kind of getting back into the simulation of what the season is like, and then we're constantly seeing how he's responding to it. He's making great strides. We'll continue to measure that, but he's day-to-day and doing well."

To an extent, there figures to be a re-acclimation process necessary for Williams and his teammates. But it's not as if they exclusively play a five-out offense or won't be thrilled about the return of a vertical threat who warps defenses and is an excellent passer and quick decision maker.

The Celtics will also be thrilled to have Williams, who earned a spot on the NBA's All-Defensive Second Team, and, before his injury, was in the running for Defensive Player of the Year, which went to teammate Marcus Smart, back at the other end of the court. After boasting the NBA's best defense last season, Boston, who had been performing much better of late until Saturday's loss to the Warriors, ranks 13th in opponent points per game, yielding 112.6 per contest, per NBA.com.

That's an amount the Celtics can surrender and still win consistently, but to raise banner 18 to the rafters at TD Garden, they'll presumably need to reduce that figure further.

Williams will also have a significant impact at limiting teams to one shot per possession with greater regularity. Boston ranks 19th in opponent offensive rebounds, giving up 10.5 per game. That's translated to also ranking 19th in second-chance points allowed, with the opposition averaging 14 per contest, per NBA.com.

There's also a good chance the Celtics get Al Horford back for Friday's matchup against the Magic. Like Williams, Horford's listed as questionable on Boston's latest injury report. 

The five-time All-Star's missed the Celtics' last five games, first due to entering the NBA's health and safety protocols, then for the recent birth of his child. The five-time All-Star's missed the Celtics' last five games, first due to entering the NBA's health and safety protocols, then for the recent birth of his child.

Horford's averaging 10.2 points, 6.3 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and a block per contest; his impact exceeds what those statistics capture.

Whether it begins with Friday night's game, Sunday's, when Boston hosts the Magic again, or shortly after that, the Celtics having their starting lineup whole again gives them plenty of time to iron out their rotation.

It also enables them to see where they should search for an upgrade or if it's better not to make personnel changes to a team that's 22-7 and outperforming the rest of the league.

Further Reading

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Celtics Head Coach Joe Mazzulla Gives Injury Update on Big Man Robert Williams

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