Robert Williams is ‘pretty close’ to a return, per Joe Mazzulla originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
The Boston Celtics have given us nothing but good news about Robert Williams lately.
Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla shared another encouraging update about his injured center Sunday ahead of Boston’s matchup with the Nets in Brooklyn.
“He went through another session today. He’s progressing really well,” Mazzulla said of Williams. “Pretty close to returning, along with the timeline. It’s just a matter of getting him back conditioning-wise and making sure he’s comfortable and ready to go.”
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Williams is just over 10 weeks removed from arthroscopic surgery on his left knee and has been participating in scrimmages throughout the week, including a Wednesday session in which he blocked a shot.
Mazzulla has been pleased with Williams’ progress in those sessions, but it sounds like the 25-year-old needs to ramp up his conditioning more before he returns to game action.
“Just making sure he’s in shape, making sure his conditioning is there, making sure he feels good,” Mazzulla added of Williams. “We just want to make sure that he’s in the right place when he comes back. So, he’s doing a great job. Doing the best he can.”
Williams’ agent told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski he expects Time Lord to be back in the lineup by Christmas, and that seems like a very real possibility, as conditioning appears to be the final hurdle Williams has to clear.
“I think it goes back to the conditioning. You can tell that he gets tired quickly right now. But that’ll come with time,” Celtics forward Sam Hauser told The Athletic’s Jared Weiss about Williams.
The Celtics boast the NBA’s best record at 18-5, so there’s no need to rush Williams back before he has his full legs under him. The C’s kick off a six-game road trip Sunday that continues through Dec. 13, so they could wait until they return home on the 16th to see if it’s time to unleash Time Lord.