The 2021-22 NBA season was full of ups and downs for the Boston Celtics. They didn’t have the best of starts to the season, but as the season progressed, they quickly got back on their feet.
Towards the last stretch of the season, the Celtics really shifted into a higher gear and never looked back. They started their NBA playoffs by sweeping the Brooklyn Nets and ended up reaching the 2022 NBA Finals.
However, the experienced Golden State Warriors team proved to be too much for the young players of the Celtics. Speaking of their amazing playoff run, there were many players who played a crucial role in it.
One of them was their young center, Robert Williams III. Williams had a breakout season and was anchoring the defense of the team alongside 2022 Defensive Player of the Year winner Marcus Smart.
After having great performances throughout the postseason, Williams didn’t play like himself and it was one of the reasons why the Celtics were outplayed by the Warriors.
The Celtics Made Robert Williams III Play Through His Knee Injury
The Celtics have a history of making their players play through injury. They did so with Isaiah Thomas, who was having a career year. After playing through a hip injury, IT was never the same.
In fact, even Williams’ current teammate, Jayson Tatum, admitted that he was playing through a hurt wrist in the playoffs.
Via Yahoo Sports:
“I was really having my knee drained a lot last series. I stopped draining it because there was no point, in my opinion. My knee kept filling back up with fluid. So, I’ve kind of learned how to manage it to be able to play. The medical staff has ensured him that he is not at further risk of worsening the repaired knee. It’s all a matter of pain tolerance.”
Well, due to playing through the injury, Williams is now out for 4-6 weeks and is doing his best to recover from the injury. Isaiah Thomas even called out the Celtics for playing Williams through an injury.
Hopefully, the 24-year-old’s injury isn’t that severe. We wish him a speedy recovery and will look forward to seeing him pick things up from right where he left them before getting injured.
