If Ayton can do this, then there might be more opportunity for Billups to keep both bigs together, with Ayton at the four and Williams at the five on offense. His shooting stroke is pure in the midrange and he has the ability to extend his range beyond the three point line. At his best, Ayton is both an offensive and defensive force. In Portland, Ayton will almost certainly start at center. Interestingly the Celtics’ best plus-minus lineup (+45.1) last season saw Williams at the five, Al Horford at the four and Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Derrick White at the smaller positions. Last season, Ayton played 97 percent of his minutes at center while Williams played 53 percent at center when he was available. The Ayton-Williams dynamicĪs mentioned above, Billups appears intrigued by the thought of the pair on the court together. In the right setting and with consistent fitness, the only way is up. While his 7.7 points, 6.2 rebounds, 1.0 assists and 2.2 blocks in 23.2 minutes in 17 games doesn’t look that impressive, the Louisianian was a key member of a Celtics squad that battled with the Golden State Warriors through six NBA Finals games.ĭespite his injury struggles, Williams currently holds career averages of 7.3 points, 6.9 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.7 blocks. His 2022 NBA Playoff performance was a particular standout. Under the boards, Williams ranked 17th on the offensive end and 47th on defense last season, while finishing 12th in converting field goals resulting in And-1 attempts. The former Texas A&M standout hasn’t dropped below top five in effective field goal percentage since entering the league and was top three converting at the rim last season. He’s reliable in high pick and rolls and dribble hand offs thanks to decent vision and passing. Williams is not a shooter, but he has the shot mechanics to work his game out to 15 feet. In 2019-22, Williams ranked first among bigs in points per shot attempt at 1.46 and 1.49 respectively. In every season bar 2022-23, Williams has been top 10 in blocks among bigs. His 7’6 wingspan combined with ridiculous strength and quickness help him match it with the likes of Joel Embiid and Nikola Jokic, highlighted by his All Defensive Second Team debut last season. When he does take the floor he is a force of nature, running between the rims, throwing his imposing frame around with free abandon. The 6’9 big told the training camp media scrum this week he was feeling great, but we’re yet to be convinced he can play a full 82-game season. ![]() Williams, taken three spots after Blazers guard Anfernee Simons in the 2018 NBA Draft, has played only 209 games through five seasons, due predominantly to a series of lower body injuries. One reason for this direction might be the fact that Williams hasn’t been the picture of health. ![]() I don’t see Williams starting at the four. ![]() I’m going to find some ways to have both of those two big guys on the floor at times, I think it’s a great advantage for us, with their athleticism and defensive prowess. Coach Chauncey Billups said as much during training camp in Santa Barbara this week but suggested there may be stretches where they share the court. Whether Williams stays in Portland remains to be seen, but as things stand, he looks to be Ayton’s back up. They’re still young and pre-prime, both aged 25. The pair are pretty serious artillery at one position on a team not expected to even sniff the NBA Playoffs. On Sunday, Cronin landed Robert Williams III, aka Time Lord, from the Boston Celtics. Last week, I wrote about the addition of Deandre Ayton from the Phoenix Suns. Doing so, he gave Portland a clear upgrade over Jusuf Nurkic who despite having his moments, lacked consistency and durability. Aside from a cache of first round pics and Malcolm Brogdon, General Manager Joe Cronin secured the services of two centers who have started for their former teams in recent NBA Finals series. Last week the Portland Trail Blazers finally executed the long-awaited Damian Lillard trade, yielding more than most of us initially imagined.
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