BOSTON — Boston Celtics big man Robert Williams is expected to return to practice next Wednesday when the team reconvenes following the All-Star break, and the Celtics are hopeful a return to game action will follow a short time after.
Williams, who engaged in his first full workout in Oklahoma City on Sunday and returned to the locker room screaming in excitement, has been ramping up his activity with the goal of being practice-ready next week.
“He’s continued to up his work outs,” said Celtics coach Brad Stevens. "The first practice we get back — so, Wednesday night, he’ll practice — it’ll be the first time he’ll have participated in any team activities, as far as a full practice. I don’t know if he’ll be limited in that or not but he’ll be able to do a lot of it.
"Then they’ll just build him up for the next 10 days and hopefully give him the green light after that. And then I’m sure it’ll be -- minutes restrictions will probably be pretty intense for the first however many weeks. But that’s good; it’s not like he was playing 30 minutes per game anyway. If we can get him back into this fold and get him in that kind of rotating spot with those other guys, that helps our team a lot.”
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Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge said the team is encouraged by what they’ve seen from Williams in his recent small-group workouts and noted that Williams has shown his familiar explosiveness, leaping well and moving freely.
Ainge has said that Williams could be back on the court around March 1. The Celtics host Houston on Feb. 29 then have a two-day break before Brooklyn visits on March 3.
The Celtics essentially shut down Williams in mid-December due to a lingering hip issue. After a series of encouraging scans in recent weeks, they’ve allowed him to start ramping up activity.
The team is hoping that Williams can provide a third reliable option at the center position, giving Stevens another body to call upon based on matchups. Enes Kanter and Daniel Theis have been solid but there’s been times when the Celtics could use a springy rim protector who can run the floor and throw down lobs.
What Williams offers the team could also impact just how hard the team seeks size on the buyout market. Boston is at the 15-man roster limit and would need to waive a player to sign a free agent. Ainge and Co. are waiting to assess who becomes available in advance of the March 1 deadline to add a playoff-eligible body before deciding if the team will pursue a veteran piece.
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