Tag: robert williams iii

On this day: Tatum, Ojeleye debut; Poirier, Timelord born; Scolari passes; Walter Brown honored

On this day In Boston Celtics history, Robert Williams III and Vincent Poirier were born, Jayson Tatum and Semi Ojeleye made their NBA debuts, Fred Scolari passed and Walter Brown was honored.

On this day in Boston Celtics history, former Celtics center Robert Williams III was born in Shreveport, Louisiana in 1997, growing up in the area and attending North Caddo High School in nearby Vivian, Louisiana.

A consensus four-star prospect coming out of high school, Timelord — as Williams is often called — played his college basketball with the Texas A&M Aggies, and twice won the Southeastern Conference Defensive Player of the Year award in his two seasons with that team. He was taken by the Celtics with the 27th overall pick of the 2018 NBA draft slipping because of concerns over his health.

An issue that has indeed bothered him since, though less each season he has been in the league.

Farewell, Timelord — hello new Boston Celtics season

While many celebrated the deal that brought Jrue Holiday to Boston, some felt a twinge of sadness, too.

If there is a member of the Boston Celtics media who has been a bigger fan of big man Robert Williams III than NBC Sports Boston’s Chris Forsberg, they are certainly not as widely known as such, So while many celebrated the deal that brought Jrue Holiday to Boston, some felt a twinge of sadness, too.

Forsberg, host of the NBC Sports Boston “Celtics Talk” podcast, was joined by NBC Sports colleague Abby Chin to talk over the loss of Timelord, the arrival of The Jruth in Boston, how he will fit with the new-look Celtics, and what awaits us all from the team in the 2023-24 NBA season ahead on a recent episode. They also dive into the logistics of the trade, mentioning the salary cap implications and the challenges of retaining players in the future.

To get up to speed on this new and very different version of the Celtics, take a look at the clip embedded below.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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Boston Celtics react to losing Robert Williams III at Media Day

Even so, the team is excited about the addition of Holiday and is focused on finding its identity and chemistry with the new roster.

The Boston Celtics made a major trade, sending fan-favorite big man Robert Williams III and the NBA’s 2023 Sixth Man of the Year Malcolm Brogdon along with two first round picks to trade for All-Star floor general Jrue Holiday on Sunday afternoon.

While Holiday has barely finished his physicals and paperwork, the Celtics were quite eager to welcome him to the team on Media Day, but several players still had words for the loss of Timelord. The trade marks a major change for the Celtics, who have also seen the departure of other key players like point guard Marcus Smart in recent months. Even so, the team is excited about the addition of Holiday and is focused on finding its identity and chemistry with the new roster.

The hosts of the CLNS Media “Garden Report” podcast Bobby Manning and Josue Pavon took some time to reflect on how the team’s players took the loss of Timelord and more.

Check it out in the clip embedded above!

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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Are the Boston Celtics too thin at center after trading away Robert Williams III?

The trade is the second seismic move made by the storied franchise this offseason.

The Boston Celtics have traded fan favorite big man Robert Williams III to the Portland Trail Blazers in a deal that brought former Milwaukee Bucks floor general Jrue Holiday to the ball club. While some fans are emotional about losing Timelord to the Blazers, others see it as a necessary move to compete for a championship in the 2024 NBA Playoffs.

The trade is the second seismic move made by the storied franchise this offseason, with the trade of veteran point guard Marcus Smart paving the way for the acquisition of star center Kristaps Porzingis kicking off the Celtics’ transformative offseason.

NBC Sports Boston’s Chris Forsberg — a noted fan of the Louisiana native — joined Cerrone Battle and Mike Felger on the “Sports Sunday” show soon after the deal became known to talk through whether Boston now needs another big man on the roster.

Check out their thoughts in the clip above.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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Boston’s Jayson Tatum says his goodbyes to Robert Williams III, Malcolm Brogdon

Tatum took to social media on Sunday to say goodbye to a pair of teammates in Malcolm Brogdon and Robert Williams III

All-NBA Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum took to social media on Sunday to say goodbye to a pair of teammates in Malcolm Brogdon and Robert Williams III after both were dealt to the Portland Trail Blazers in the deal that brought back All-Star guard Jrue Holiday.

“This one hurt,” said Tatum on his Instagram of the Timelord trade (h/t the Boston Globe’s Trevor Haas). My brother right here. Toughest part about this business, appreciate you for everything. Super proud of the player you have become and excited to see how far you take it. Keep striving to be special and never change who you are.”

“My dawg 4L till we link up again,” he added. “Nothing but love.”

The St. Louis native also had parting words for the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year. “True professional, nothing but love and respect for this guy,” said Tatum of Brogdon’s departure. “Best of luck this year.”

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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Will the Boston Celtics regret trading Robert Williams III?

How are we feeling about the risk and potential Boston traded to the Portland Trail Blazers?

The Boston Celtics gave up on a former starter and Defensive Player of the Year candidate in big man Robert Williams III when they traded him alongside the NBA’s 2023 Sixth Man of the Year Malcolm Brogdon for former Milwaukee Bucks All-Star guard Jrue Holiday on this past Sunday.

How are we feeling about the risk and potential Boston traded to the Portland Trail Blazers? How about whether or not the Celtics need more at the center position given oft-unavailable center Kristaps Porzingis’ injury history and veteran forward Al Horford’s age heading into next season? The trade may have been a good one, but it comes with much risk.

The hosts of the CLNS Media “Garden Report” podcast took some time to talk through their feelings specifically about Timelord and his inclusion in the deal on a recent episode.

Take a look at the clip embedded above to hear what they had to say about losing Williams to the Blazers.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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Blazers originally sought four to five firsts for Jrue Holiday, demanded Robert Williams III

Boston reportedly had the green light to do “whatever it takes” to win a banner this season from the team’s ownership group.

Fans of the Boston Celtics who are looking at the trade for Jrue Holiday as a very expensive one should know that the original asking price, per a recent article by the Boston Globe’s Adam Himmelsbach, was considerably steeper than what the Celtics ultimately paid.

“Portland was seeking a haul that included four or five future first-round picks,” writes Himmelsbach, noting that Boston had the green light to do “whatever it takes” to win a banner this season from the team’s ownership group. “The Blazers were not required to make a deal that suited Holiday, but a league source said the guard’s camp provided Portland with a short list of preferred destinations, and the Celtics were on it,” added the Globe reporter.

Many fans hoped Boston would be able to find a way to get Holiday on the team’s roster without dealing away big man Robert Williams III or veteran forward Al Horford.

But the “Blazers made it clear that Williams, the oft-injured but athletic big man who has shown flashes of dominance, needed to be part of the deal”, which, with several other teams alo in pursuit of Holiday, seems like an unavoidable outcome in retrospect.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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Making sense of the Jrue Holiday deal to the Boston Celtics

After several days of speculation, the Boston Celtics have traded for All-Star point guard Jrue Holiday.

After several days of speculation, the Boston Celtics have traded for All-Star point guard Jrue Holiday per multiple sources. In the trade, the Celtics are sending out the NBA’s 2023 Sixth Man of the Year Malcolm Brogdon, fan favorite big man Robert Williams III, Golden State’s 2024 first round pick, and their own 2029 unprotected first round pick.

The former Milwaukee Bucks guard was dealt to the Portland Trail Blazers in the deal that sent star floor general Damian Lillard to the Bucks, with Holiday now joining Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Kristaps Porzingis, and Derrick White as the stars of a heavy-duty starting lineup expected to be the leading threat to win it all in 2024.

The hosts of the NBC Sports Boston “Pre Game Live” show paused their football-oriented broadcast to break down the rough outlines of the trade that took place this Sunday morning.

Check it out for yourself in the clip embedded above.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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Celtics president Brad Stevens discusses expectations for Robert Williams III

Brad Stevens discussed his expectations for Robert Williams ahead of the Boston Celtics new season.

Robert Williams III is one of the most impactful big men in the NBA when healthy. The explosive center is the ideal rim-runner, blocking shots of defense and hammering home lobs on offense. However, throughout his tenure with the Boston Celtics, Williams has struggled with a litany of injuries. To begin last season, the veteran big man missed the opening 29 games as he recovered from off-season surgery.

However, things are different this year. Williams has had his first healthy summer since entering the NBA. And the Celtics have built a robust big-man rotation, which includes Al Horford and Kristaps Porzingis. Nevertheless, Williams is expected to take a leap this season.

When speaking to fans at the ABCD Hoop Dreams camp, Brad Stevens discussed his expectations for Williams, with his health being a top priority, as reported by Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe.

“He’s not an old guy, but he’s not a rookie anymore,” Stevens said. “He’s six years in now and this is the time where guys make leaps and make jumps. He showed his defensive versatility a couple of years ago. His offensive threat at the rim and his rebounding is as good as it gets, and the keys for him are to be available as much as possible and to be able play as long as spurts as possible.

Toward the end of last season, Joe Mazzulla began bringing Williams off the bench as he looked to manage his minutes and accentuate his impact. With Poringis now on the roster, there’s a legitimate chance Mazzulla will continue to utilize Williams as a momentum changer rather than as a starting big.

Whatever the coaching staff decides, Williams is due to take another leap in his development. If he can stay healthy, the Louisana native could have a career year for the Celtics, which will only help their pursuit of Banner 18.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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Should the Boston Celtics trade Robert Williams III or Al Horford to land Jrue Holiday?

Which of those two big men does Boston need more next season?

The Boston Celtics would have to match salary to pull off a trade for Portland Trail Blazers star floor general Jrue Holiday. That involves either pairing the NBA’s 2023 Sixth Man of the Year Malcolm Brogdon with veteran big man Al Horford or Brogdon with center Robert Williams III if the Portland Trail Blazers want more than stacked, low-level player salaries from the Celtics side of the trade.

Which of those two big men does Boston need more if they move forward with Holiday and Derrick White as their primary backcourt options for the 2023-24 NBA season?

CLNS Media’s Bobby Manning, A. Sherrod Blakely, Jimmy Toscano, Josue Pavon and John Zannis debated this seeming conundrum on a recent episode of the “Garden Report” podcast.

Take a look at the clip embedded above to hear what the crew thinks of dealing either of these two important bigs for Holiday.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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