Boston’s depth was been put to the test at the onset of the NBA season.
Ahead of training camp, news broke that starting center Robert Williams III would undergo surgery on the same knee he injured down the stretch of the 2021-22 regular season.
Williams was one of last season’s breakout players. He played a key role in the Celtics finishing with the best defensive rating in the NBA, earning him Defensive Player of the Year votes and the first All-Defensive selection of his career.
What’s next for Williams? Here’s everything we know about his injury and the latest news on when he may return to the court.
MORE: Can you pass the NBA Crunch Time Coaching Quiz?
What is Robert Williams’ injury?
On Sept. 20, Heavy’s Sean Deveney reported that Williams would undergo arthroscopic surgery on his left knee ahead of the 2022-23 season. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski added that the procedure was described as a “cleanup.”
The Celtics announced that Williams had undergone surgery on Sept. 23 to “remove loose bodies and address swelling” in his knee.
Williams missed the end of the 2021-22 regular season and the start of the 2022 NBA Playoffs after undergoing a partial meniscectomy to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee.
After being sidelined for 10 straight games, Williams returned to the lineup in Boston’s Game 3 win over Brooklyn in the first round of the playoffs. He dealt with discomfort in his knee for most of the postseason, but he ended up playing in 17 of the team’s 24 games.
Williams averaged 7.7 points, 6.2 rebounds and 2.2 blocks in 23.2 minutes in those games.
How long will Robert Williams be out?
Wojnarowski initially reported that Williams would need a total of four to six weeks for recovery, but the Celtics later announced that he was expected to return to basketball activities in eight to 12 weeks.
That timetable meant Williams could be sidelined until the middle of November or the middle of December.
#NEBHInjuryReport Robert Williams underwent a successful arthroscopic procedure to remove loose bodies and address swelling in his left knee. Williams is expected to return to basketball activities in 8-12 weeks.
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) September 23, 2022
The Athletic’s Shams Charania provided an update on Oct. 18 and made it sound like Williams could be out longer after reportedly undergoing a PRP injection to promote healing in his knee.
“He’s going to return at some point during the second half of the season,” Charania said. “I’m told his hope is sometime in December or January, but it could even be later than that.”
It’s still unknown when Williams will return, but Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla said on Dec. 4 that he’s close.
Joe Mazzulla says Robert Williams is “pretty close to returning” pic.twitter.com/adRhbS83eo
— Celtics on NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSCeltics) December 4, 2022
Robert Williams career stats, highlights
- 7.2 points per game
- 6.6 rebounds per game
- 1.4 assists per game
- 1.7 blocks per game
- 0.7 steals per game
- 0.8 turnovers per game
- 19.9 minutes per game
- 72.8 percent field goal shooting
- 66.5 percent free throw shooting
Visits: 0
