Boston Celtics center Robert Williams will miss several weeks with a meniscus tear, according to Adrian Wojnarowski from ESPN.
ESPN Sources: Celtics C Robert Williams has suffered a meniscus tear in his left knee and will minimally miss several weeks. Further evaluation today will help provide a timetable. Boston moved into first-place Sunday, and Williams has been immense part of NBA’s best defense.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) March 28, 2022
Williams’ injury came during to Celtics’ big win against the Minnesota Timberwolves and an MRI on Monday confirmed the tear. He still put up 13 points and 10 rebounds in almost 24 minutes of playing time as the team climb up to the first seed of the Eastern Conference on Sunday.
The Celtics have 22 wins in their last 25 games and have the best defensive rating in the league. Williams has been key for the team in protecting the rim. He currently is no. 1 among 169 players in the league who have defended 500-plus shots as the closest defender, per Second Spectrum tracking.
Only Williams has held opponents under 40% shooting.
The defensive improvement also comes with great timing as the team gave him a four-year extension in the last offseason hoping that he could find his role for the future of the franchise.
