Karalis: How Robert Williams keyed the game-changing run that triggered a blowout

Robert Williams' career has had a "superman learning to fly" element to it. He's blessed with such physical gifts, but the early part of his NBA life was mostly about learning how to harness them. Where he used to be "an amazing athlete playing basketball," this year he's becoming more of a "basketball player with amazing athletic ability."

The difference lies in his ability to process the game and react properly rather than just hope he can jump his way to an amazing play.

Of course, he has done that plenty over the course of his time with the Boston Celtics. This season, though, has seen a leap of a different kind, and we saw it on full display during the first quarter of Boston's win over the Houston Rockets. He was a central figure in the Celtics' first-quarter run the flipped the game from disappointment to the beginning of a blowout.

"Rob has been great for us," Jaylen Brown said after the game. "He’s even getting better as the days are going on - feeling it as we play off of each other. Rob has been really good."

Let's start with the first time he touched the ball, because this was a beauty.



Marcus Smart cut backdoor and Williams hit him with a pass so perfect that Bill Belichick is second-guessing re-signing Cam Newton.

Plays like this require timing and precision. Williams can't get too caught up in the mechanics of play, which was designed for a hand-off to Payton Pritchard. Smart made a read, seeing the defense was preparing to switch, so he made a break for the hoop. Williams stayed with him, reacted to the decision, and dropped a perfect pass onto Smart's fingertips.

He actually hit Jaylen Brown on a backdoor cut which ended up becoming a turnover, but the recognition and pass were there.



The Celtics had been struggling defensively to this point of the game, but Williams and Smart connected on that end of the floor as well.



The communication on this play leads to a tough shot by Victor Oladipo. One of the Celtics' problems in their February doldrums was a lack of defensive cohesion. On this play, Smart and Williams initially go with the same player but Williams directs Smart to where he's supposed to be.

With Smart quickly recovering, he can then switch the next pick and take away a passing option, leaving Oladipo up against Semi Ojeleye, who does a great job staying in front, partly with the defensive support of Williams behind him.

Watch Williams and his little toe-tapping in and out of the lane. He resets the three-second count each time he steps out, so he's always within reach of an Oladipo drive. This is rim protection without having to challenge a shot because he's deterring the drive by simply being in the right position. Oladipo was left with no option besides a late-clock 3-pointer, which Williams cleared with a big rebound.

Williams had a putback dunk, which is always fun. His athleticism is going to make those plays possible throughout the game. But his ability to make quick decisions with the ball rather than force something up is what made this next play possible.



First, he sets and flips the pick for Jayson Tatum, opening up what might have been a dunk opportunity. Williams' ability to seemingly float that extra half-second gives him a chance to quickly process that he doesn't have a quick move to the basket available, but he does have the quick pass out to Payton Pritchard. Pritchard then quickly swings it to Ojeleye, who was on fire early in the game.

This quick ball movement philosophy is something preached by Gregg Popovich and the San Antonio Spurs. They have a "half-second rule," which says players should be able to figure out within a half second whether they are passing, driving, or shooting. This possession is a perfect manifestation of that rule. After Smart triggers the play, the ball moves quickly and decisively. This is a beautiful offensive possession.

Now watch Williams bail out Jeff Teague.



Teague was totally lost. He was like an outfielder who lost a fly ball in the sun and Williams was the shortstop pointing to it so the catch could be made. Of course, Teague lost his guy again, but Williams was there to contain the drive and force the kick-out and tough 3-point attempt.

Williams was in the middle of nearly every good play in that first-quarter run. He still has some rough patches, but his progression this season has been exceptional. The only negative for Williams is that left hip, which cost him most of last season and flared up again this season. It's very obviously a concern for the Celtics.

"The density of the games and his history, especially last year, we’re just being conservative (with his minutes)," Stevens said. " But he’s getting a lot better. You can see that. And he’s able to play a little bit longer stints than he has in the past, because he plays really hard when he’s out there. So that’s all encouraging. ... Rob, obviously, gives us an upside there that I think we just need to keep building and building and building."

If he can, indeed, keep building, he can be an important part of Boston's long-term success.