Day-to-day in the life for Williams
Injured big man feeling better entering Finals
SAN FRANCISCO » Robert Williams’ entire career has been an exercise in learning to better deal with injuries, but since March 30, when he had surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee, the Celtics center has literally lived a day-to- day existence.
When Williams stepped onto the Chase Center floor for practice on Wednesday, that much hadn’t changed. Like Marcus Smart and his multiple right leg issues, Williams is listed as questionable heading into Game 1 of the NBA Finals Thursday night against Golden State.
But after playing reduced minutes in the conference finals, logging only 15 in the Celtics’ Game 7 win over Miami, Williams agrees with the assessment of Ime Udoka — reduced minutes may have actually preserved him for the Finals and lessened the pain.
“I feel like the reduced minutes helps obviously because with the injury I had, you know, not being able to take the time off, being such an important part of the season, the minute reduction definitely helped,” said Williams. “Obviously, the couple days between these series helped, too.
“You know, it’s manageable,” he said. “Kind of been getting in a routine the past couple games, what I have to go through to have myself ready to play.”
Williams has admittedly been through a lot since the surgery, including a bone bruise in the same knee following a collision with Giannis Antetokounmpo, but that only makes his ability to reach the NBA Finals all the sweeter.
“You know, just grateful, thankful to even be sitting up here getting interviewed by you guys in the Finals,” he said. “Obviously, like you said, been through a lot of trials and tribulations, a lot of injuries. Just looking to live in the
moment, man, enjoy.”
Brown signs with Kanye
Jaylen Brown has become the first NBA player to select Kanye West’s Donda Sports as his agency, and branding and exposure both played a role.
“Anytime I make a life decision, I contemplate,” said Brown.
“I think about things deeply. And from what I want to do, the missions I want to get accomplished, it was the right decision. People have concerns or critiques about, etc., but in the world we live in, there’s concerns and critiques in any and everything. I feel like this is a good moment for me in my particular life. I’m excited to build and create and do things that I’ve always imagined I wanted to do on the court and off. So I think it’s a beautiful collaboration, and I’m ex
cited.”
Like Green, like Smart
Steve Kerr sees a lot of commonality in his defensive leader, Draymond Green, and Marcus Smart.
“I coached Marcus in the World Cup a few summers ago, along with Jayson and Jaylen and Kemba,” said the Warriors coach. “At the time, we had four Celtics on the team. I’ve gotten to know these guys a little bit; Jayson (Tatum) last year during the Olympics. So it’s been fun to get to know them. But Marcus, I described him yesterday as kind of the guard version of Draymond. He’s just all over the place defensively. Really, really smart. Anticipates plays. Understands angles. The versatility to guard 1 through 5. It’s all there. So there’s a reason he won Defensive Player of the Year. He’s a great, great defender and probably an underrated offensive player as well.”
Green likes the comparison.
“I think he really thinks the game. You can see it the
way he plays, the way he’s teaching guys, the way he’s commanding attention in huddles and going through the X’s and O’s in the huddles. You see it all,” said the Warriors big man. “I think he does a great job of that. I’ve been speaking on this a lot.
“I think people tend to forget, Marcus Smart’s No. 1 attribute or positive on him coming out of the draft was his leadership and that he’s a winner and a true point guard,” he said. “The qualities that he has, especially on that side of the ball, are those of a leader, are those — when you see him with the X’s and O’s teaching — of a point guard. I think he’s continued to grow into his leadership. I think there were times earlier in his career where most people wouldn’t know how to handle it, and so then you end up getting a bad rap and like, oh, this guy is doing too much of this, he’s doing too much of that. He’s continued to grow into the leader that he’s become, and it’s been really good to watch.”