Trail Blazers News: Robert Williams to Make Season Debut vs. Pelicans

Ricardo Klein | Nov 4, 2024

Sep 30, 2024; Portland, Oregon, USA; Portland Trail Blazers center Robert Williams III (35). Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images / Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images

Portland Trail Blazers center Robert Williams III is available and set to make his season debut on Monday against the New Orleans Pelicans.

The Trail Blazers shared the news via Twitter/X.

INJURY UPDATE: Robert Williams III is AVAILABLE to play tonight @ NOP. https://t.co/HVa1i725wy

— Portland Trail Blazers (@trailblazers) November 5, 2024

Williams' status prior to the game kept improving, and he was even listed as probably on Monday morning.

Williams played six games for the franchise in the 2023-24 season but suffered a season-ending knee injury in Nov. 2023. During training camp in October, the 27-year-old also experienced a Grade 1 hamstring strain.

Williams has struggled to stay healthy throughout his career. Out of a possible 492 games in his career, he has only played in 43 percent of games, coming out to 215 games. 

The 27-year-old was dealt to the Trail Blazers from Boston in the Jrue Holiday trade just before the art of training camp last year. He only played in six games for Portland last season, where he averaged 6.8 points, 6.3 rebounds, 0.8 assists, and 1.2 blocks in 19.8 minutes before he suffered a patellar dislocation after colliding with Jaren Jackson Jr. on the Blazers game against the Memphis Grizzlies. 

When healthy, Williams is one of the best defensive-minded big men who averages 1.7 blocks in his career and was named to the 2022 All-Defensive Team. 

Williams was with the Boston Celtics before his time with the Trail Blazers. The Celtics drafted Williams with the No. 27 overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft.

In five seasons with Boston, he averaged 7.3 points per game, 6.9 rebounds, 1.4 assists, and 1.7 blocks while shooting 73 percent from the field and 65 percent from the free throw line.

He helped lead the Celtics to the 2022 NBA Finals against the Golden State Warriors. At the time, it was their first finals appearance since 2010.

The Trail Blazers are off to a solid start to the season. Prior to their game on Monday, they sit with a 2-5 record.

With the addition of Williams to the lineup, the Blazers now have a stacked frontcourt alongside veteran center Deandre Ayton and rookie Donovan Clingan.

Williams will enter his seventh season in the NBA and his second in Portland. Prior to his time in the NBA, he attended Texas A&M and made a name for himself there as he was named a two-time Defensive Player of the Year, Second-team All-SEC in 2017, SEC All-Freshman Team in 2017, and two-time SEC All-Defensive Team.

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