Robert Williams, a former Celtic, NEEDED to have season-ending surgery
In the Trail Blazers’ Sunday night loss against the Grizzlies and Marcus Smart, Robert Williams sustained an apparent season-ending injury.
Robert Williams sustained a serious knee injury on Sunday night during the Portland Trail Blazers’ 112-100 loss to Marcus Smart and the Memphis Grizzlies.
The right kneecap injury sustained by the former Boston Celtics big man requires the treatment of bone and ligament damage, according to Jared Weiss and Shams Charania of The Athletic.
While the initial belief was the Time Lord would have the option for a cleanup procedure that has a two-to-three-month timetable, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reports further examination has removed that option, with the 26-year-old from Shreveport, Louisiana, required to undergo season-ending surgery.
The former Texas A&M Aggie has unfortunately dealt with injuries throughout his career. Concerns about his knees are also a significant reason he was available for the Celtics to select 27th overall at the 2018 NBA Draft.
Before the 2022-23 campaign, Williams underwent an arthroscopic procedure on his left knee. That came after his decision in late March of 2023 to have a meniscectomy for a torn meniscus in his left knee, allowing him to return for a playoff run that came within two wins of a championship.
The five-year veteran has worked diligently to return after every setback, and the initial expectation is he’s ready for the start of the 2024-25 season.
While Boston’s decision to trade Williams to help acquire Jrue Holiday in the offseason isn’t lost on people as they digest this news, he’s a hard-working, high-character individual who’s worked extremely hard to develop his game and grind through multiple rehab processes.
Williams is a considerable talent whose game gets people out of their seats and whose impact on both ends of the floor is significant. Hopefully, he’s able to get back to showcasing that next season and that this surgery and subsequent changes to his style of play, for example — he’s already started taking more jump shots and spending less time in the air — help him enjoy a run of good health on the other side of this procedure.
