Boston Celtics fans received positive news from head coach Ime Udoka regarding Robert Williams’ injury, but they will need to win plenty of games for him to take the floor during the NBA playoffs.
Williams tore his meniscus against the Minnesota Timberwolves on March 27th and missed the rest of the regular season. Williams is in his fourth season in the NBA and was having his best year as a pro. In 61 games, he averaged 10.0 points and 9.6 rebounds per game this year and is an excellent defender.
Robert Williams injury updates
April 23 update: Williams is officially active for Game 3 Saturday and will play off the bench.
April 22 update: Williams is set to return for limited minutes Saturday in Game 3. Based on how he performs, the center would then return to his usual workload Monday in Game 4. The Celtics are up 2-0 so they are in no rush to bring Williams back but the center clearly feels ready to return to the court.
Barring a setback, Boston Celtics center Robert Williams III intends to return in limited minutes for Game 3 vs. Brooklyn on Saturday, sources tell ESPN. If those minutes go smoothly, the expectation is that he’ll resume a significant minutes load for Game 4 on Monday.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) April 22, 2022
April 22 update: Williams could potentially return Saturday in Game 3 against the Nets. This is a huge development for the Celtics, who have a 2-0 lead on the Nets and could now be getting their star defensive center back ahead of schedule.
Boston Celtics center Robert Williams is close to a return and could play in Game 3 (Saturday) or Game 4 (Monday) vs. Nets, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. Final determination will be made on how Williams feels day-to-day after suffering torn meniscus on March 27.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) April 22, 2022
April 20 update: Williams has been cleared for 3-on-3 work, so he’s making progress to return. The Celtics are still considering him out for the first round, so it’s unlikely he returns against the Nets.
Ime Udoka said Robert Williams did some 3-on-3 action on the practice court. He continues to make progress, but Udoka said the Celtics are still planning to be without him this series.
— Jay King (@ByJayKing) April 20, 2022
Williams underwent surgery to repair the knee injury, and Udoka said the timeline is approximately 4-6 weeks before he can return to the floor. He said the Celtics are going into the postseason with the mindset Williams will be unavailable during the first round, and it will likely depend on how far the Celtics get into the playoffs and how quickly he recovers from his first surgery whether he returns to the team this season.