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What is keeping Rob Williams from logging more playing time?

The quick answer to the question of Rob Williams not logging more playing time is, --- personal fouls. After two games, here are TIMELORD's projected, per-36 minutes stats:

15.8 PPG, 13.0 RPG, 2.9 APG, 4.3 SPG, 2.9 BPG, 1.4 TOPG


Okay, so what's the hitch. He would also pile up 11.5 fouls per game if he played 36 minutes. You can't do that in an NBA game. Give him 36 minutes now, and he will be gone by half-time in most games. In his sophomore season, Williams is foul prone. More experience and seasoning should cure most of that. But NBC Sports' Chris Forsberg doesn't think it is an over-reaction to project Rob as the starting center. Here is Chris' analysis after the loss to Philadelphia:

Robert Williams will eventually be the starting center on this team
Judgment: Not an overreaction

Kudos to Williams, who wasn’t just coming off a poor, over-caffeinated preseason showing but spent much of the ramp-up to the regular season recovering from a concussion after taking a Kevin Love elbow to the head in the exhibition finale. Williams gave Boston 11 solid minutes off the bench (against Philadelphia)and was the only player to finish in the positive in plus/minus. It should be stressed, of course, that Williams played zero minutes while Embiid was on the court, but he did the sort of things that had Boston brass buzzing about him this summer. Williams was active, he ran the floor, and, per usual, he threw down one thunderous lob. He’s still got a lot of strides to make to be a consistent starter (he had four fouls in his floor time) but his passing skills and rim-running ways leave us wondering if he’s the best fit next to Boston’s core guys in an up-tempo offense.

Williams is a better passer than advertised and just as good a shot blocker as we were led to believe. His mobility, athleticism and enormous wingspan make him an ideal solution for the center spot on this Celtics team. He just needs floor time (12.7 MPG this season), experience and seasoning. Forsberg's prophesy for Rob's progression to starting center is not far fetched. It starts with cutting down on the fouls - and maybe getting some free throw practice in (50% on free throws after two games). He looks damned good for the 27th overall pick last year.

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https://www.nbcsports.com/boston/celtics/taking-stock-celtics-overreactions-after-opening-night-loss-76ers



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