As Rob Williams emerges, fans may see changes in Celtics style

In November of 2019, the start of Rob Williams' second season in the NBA, I boldly compared Rob's shot-blocking ability to that of the legendary Bill Russell. I was cautious not to over-blow the praise to other areas, such as rebounding, savvy and leadership. It may be time to expand the expectations for this truly-superior athlete. The following from my November, 2019 article:

Where Russ was a taller-than-average center at the time, Rob is undersized at the position. Doesn't seem to matter. I watch Williams' elevation, position and timing, and I immediately see Russell-like shot-blocking potential in him. More time on the floor will make him better. Robert will almost certainly never achieve Russell's overall talent level, fame or astounding rebounding ability, but don't be surprised if, with more seasoning, Rob electrifies Boston fans with his ability to deter shots. Actually, he is already doing just that.

Williams' 16 points and 13 boards in a mere 19 minutes of floor time made him one of only 10 NBA players to accomplish this feat in under 20 minutes. What does Rob's emergence mean for his team and its future?

To start, The Green have not seen a center with this physique, quickness, mobility and athleticism since Russell retired in 1969. The 6'8.5" Dave Cowens was similar to TIMELORD in many ways, but Big Red's superior athleticism fell slightly short of Rob's, and Dave only averaged 0.9 blocks per game for his career.

Robert Parish could run the floor and always kept his body in great shape - and he did average 1.5 blocks/game over his NBA tenure, but he was not as quick, mobile or athletic as Williams III. Ditto for Kendrick Perkins.

So what does Brad Stevens do with this athletic marvel? Right off the bat, Brad should NOT try to turn him into a 3-point wonder. Williams' top overall value may be in getting his teammates what they have trouble finding - EASY BASKETS.

The obscure value pertains to the easy baskets that Rob may generate. Iso-ball requires a lot of individual effort, and the rewards from the physical strain don't always come to fruition. Easy baskets come from steals, blocks, offensive boards and the resultant (hopefully) fast breaks that lead to scores.

Rob's skills could mean some changes in the style of the current version of the Boston Celtics. That would not be a terrible thing. Easy baskets seem hard to come by with this present crew. Significant leads disappear in Crunch Time.

Flash back to the 60's when Russ would block a shot or snatch a defensive rebound - and it was off to the races. A short pass to Bob Cousy, followed by a long outlet to a sprinting Sam Jones or Tommy Heinsohn (yes, Heinsohn) for a bunny lay-in. And how about easy put-backs from offensive boards? Rob is averaging almost five (4.8) offensive rebounds per 36 minutes over the last 10 games.

If Rob Williams is truly as good as Celtics fans project him to be, those fans may start to see less iso-ball and 3-point marathons and more running, off-ball movement and yes - easy baskets via steals, blocks, fast breaks, offensive boards and put-backs. Sounds exciting.

The Elm Street Nightmare

A true-and-suspenseful horror tale of haunting, homicides and the hunt for triple-murderer, Daniel Laplante - as told by the cops that were there By Lt. Thomas Lane (Ret.) Daniel Laplante - cold, calm, clever, calculating- Photo: YouTube Elm Street surfaces on six (6) occasions in the Laplante saga: 1.) He resided on Elm Street in Townsend, Massachusetts 2.) He kidnapped a woman at gunpoint on Elm Street, Pepperell , Massachusetts 3.) That kidnapped woman fled to the Gillogly residence on Elm Street after escaping from the armed fugitive, Laplante. 4.) He was arrested and transported to Massachusetts State Police Barracks on Elm Street in Concord . 5.) He was tried, convicted and sentenced for the murders at Superior Court , corner of Elm Stree t and Gorham Street, Lowell, Massachusetts. 6.) The author, Thomas Lane, lived on Elm Steet, Pepperell, Massachusetts while a police Sgt./Lt. for the t...

A sorrowful farewell to Kitty's Restaurant (North Reading, MA) as a family tradition

Time to say "Goodbye" to Kitty's Restaurant - my family's destination and tradition for six generations and more than 80 years. My memories of Kitty's go back to the early-1950's . I would accompany my dad and grandfather on fishing trips to the Ipswich River in North Reading, Massachusetts - followed by a visit to the restaurant on Main Street. In later years, my wife, Linda, and I would eat there with our two kids, Marc and Lisa - and years later - with our two grand daughters - and still later - with our great grandson, Carson. Author and family at Kitty's approx. 10 years ago Kitty's never disappointed. The drinks were big and well-made . The food was terrific - as were the portions. The service was exceptional and we became well-acquainted with the waiters and waitresses. It all worked so very well for many decades. My grand daughter, Courtney , was particularly fond of the restaurant. She was born with cystic fibrosis , and during her fr...

Wemby versus Kareem as rookies

We already know that the Spurs Victor Wembanyama is going to be an NBA phenomenon, but will he surpass Kareem Abdul-Jabbar by the end of his career. It is highly likely. I did a "per-36-minutes" comparison between the two stars, mainly because Kareem logged 43.1 MPG in his rookie campaign - while Wemby has been held to only 29.4 MPG. Kareem: 24.1 PPG - 12.1 RPG - 3.4 APG - .518 FG - .653 FT Wemby: 25.9 PPG - 12.9 RPG - 4.5 APG - .463 FG - .796 FT No blocks, steals or 3-pointers were looked at since they were not tracked in Jabbar's first year in the NBA. It should also be noted that Kareem was 22 years old at the time, while Victor started at age 20. Two factors favoring Wembanyama ultimately surpassing Jabbar on any "Best-of-All-Time" charts are his point guard skills , shared by so many European players. and the fact he is being mentored by Gregg Popovich. His potential seems astounding. But the question remains. Can he garner six Titles and six MVP ...

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