Celtics stats snapshot: More time for more Time Lord?

While he still makes plenty of mistakes, it’s getting harder by the day not to say that Boston Celtics reserve center Robert Williams III isn’t the best big man on the team in recent games.

While he has been coming off the bench intentionally to preserve his availability later in the season according to head coach Brad Stevens in a recent press availability session, Time Lord has quietly been making it hard for Stevens to justify keeping him in that role. The Texas A&M product currently leads the team in rebounds, steals and blocks per 100 possessions among players with significant minutes.

On defense, Synergy rates Williams an "excellent" overall defender compared to Theis as "very good" and Thompson "below average". On offense Time Lord rates "excellent" in transition with the Canadian and German both just "average," and "excellent" as a cutter and offensive rebounder along with Theis, with Thompson just "average". The Texas A&M product has the highest rating from Synergy as a pick-and-roll big at "very good" to Theis' "good" and the Toronto native's "poor" rating. https://twitter.com/TheCelticsWire/status/1363675048389742593?s=20

Williams is fifth overall in scoring per 100 possessions, and is a hair behind Daniel Theis' 2.9 assists per 100 possessions with 2.6. The most common argument for keeping the big man on the bench has been the very-real errors he continues to make, but it may be a case of anchoring to the error-prone days of his past than his current play. Time Lord's turnover rate is in line with the amount of offense he generates when on the floor, while fouling less often than Theis and only slightly more than Tristan Thompson. https://twitter.com/TheCelticsWire/status/1363691320988995588?s=20

And speaking of offense, he is ABSURDLY efficient -- connecting 72.5% of his field goal attempts, yet only plays 15.4 minutes per game to Theis' 24.8 and Thompson's 23. It's true that the former Cavalier has indeed improved his play since joining the Celtics with no camp and little opportunity to get back in shape and up to speed. It's also true that the German big man is Boston's best screener and only starting-caliber big who can shoot. But while Stevens may have the unenviable task of juggling those minutes, it's becoming clear that more of them ought to be going to Williams. And though the injury risks are real, with potential starting-level bigs on the roster, an occasional night off for all of them isn't a terrible plan either. This post originally appeared on Celtics Wire. Follow us on Facebook! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sr4-NSR6ovA [lawrence-related id=46940,46937,46932,46910] [listicle id=46931]

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