Can Williams improve fast enough

[nickagneta]

I am hoping that Williams doesn't have a problem understanding the intricacies of the team's offensive and defensive schemes. He played in a ridiculously simple system in college. He seems to have the talent. I just hope he has the intelligence to pick everything up quickly.

[Surferdad]

I would tell Williams to look at film of Dennis Rodman.

And the Celtics need to stop throwing Williams lobs. It's a risky play that if it fails usually results in the other team shooting a layup at the other end thanks to floor imbalance.

I suppose, but I can't recall a single instance last season where this happened.  The kid has soft hands.

[PhoSita]

I am hoping that Williams doesn't have a problem understanding the intricacies of the team's offensive and defensive schemes. He played in a ridiculously simple system in college. He seems to have the talent. I just hope he has the intelligence to pick everything up quickly.

It does seem as though Brad's system asks a lot of big men.  In some systems you can have guys without a lot of skill who get to run to the rim on offense and drop on every pick and roll on defense.  On the Celtics you need to be able to perform dribble handoffs, pass to cutters, execute switches, etc.

[liam]

TIMELORD is a 21 year old big man. It takes loner for big men to develop. I think he'll get minutes next year. I'm not sure how many but some. I really hope he's playing in Summer League. 

[Surferdad]

I am hoping that Williams doesn't have a problem understanding the intricacies of the team's offensive and defensive schemes. He played in a ridiculously simple system in college. He seems to have the talent. I just hope he has the intelligence to pick everything up quickly.

It does seem as though Brad's system asks a lot of big men.  In some systems you can have guys without a lot of skill who get to run to the rim on offense and drop on every pick and roll on defense.  On the Celtics you need to be able to perform dribble handoffs, pass to cutters, execute switches, etc.

Brad would really impress me if he adapts his style to the talent available.  For example, why not switch up the offense to something more traditional when Williams is in there?  Defense will not be expecting it.

[moiso]

I would tell Williams to look at film of Dennis Rodman.

And the Celtics need to stop throwing Williams lobs. It's a risky play that if it fails usually results in the other team shooting a layup at the other end thanks to floor imbalance.

I suppose, but I can't recall a single instance last season where this happened.  The kid has soft hands.

He has good hands and can really get up but I saw lots of times where his teammates were too anxious to make the highlight play and threw bad passes that he couldn't get.

[nickagneta]

I am hoping that Williams doesn't have a problem understanding the intricacies of the team's offensive and defensive schemes. He played in a ridiculously simple system in college. He seems to have the talent. I just hope he has the intelligence to pick everything up quickly.

It does seem as though Brad's system asks a lot of big men.  In some systems you can have guys without a lot of skill who get to run to the rim on offense and drop on every pick and roll on defense.  On the Celtics you need to be able to perform dribble handoffs, pass to cutters, execute switches, etc.

Brad would really impress me if he adapts his style to the talent available.  For example, why not switch up the offense to something more traditional when Williams is in there?  Defense will not be expecting it.

I can see changing up an entire offensive system for a superstar or two, so that that player(s) can get more of their shots, but not for someone who is having trouble understanding your system.

For instance, mid season or so the Celtics implemented a highly successful two man pick & roll/pop wrinkle between Kyrie and Horford to give those to more high quality shots. They got them and the team was better for it. (I still question if this was a design by Stevens or Kyrie just started running it and Stevens liked it so kept it, but that is for another thread.)

This change gave the stars more touches and shots. If Kyrie and Davis are here, this would have to be the main staple of the offense to get Davis and Kyrie their shots, while everyone else takes the 3rd through 5th options on the floor.

[Bobshot]

I am hoping that Williams doesn't have a problem understanding the intricacies of the team's offensive and defensive schemes. He played in a ridiculously simple system in college. He seems to have the talent. I just hope he has the intelligence to pick everything up quickly.

It does seem as though Brad's system asks a lot of big men.  In some systems you can have guys without a lot of skill who get to run to the rim on offense and drop on every pick and roll on defense.  On the Celtics you need to be able to perform dribble handoffs, pass to cutters, execute switches, etc.

Brad would really impress me if he adapts his style to the talent available.  For example, why not switch up the offense to something more traditional when Williams is in there?  Defense will not be expecting it.

I see this as a major weakness of Stevens. Great coaches adapt their game to the skills of their players. Auerbach was like this. Pop is like this. They try to get a group of players with diverse skills. When they have 7 or 8 of these guys, and they play together using those diverse skills, the team is successful. Each player knows their role. Auerbach didn't have a great team until he got Russell to be the defensive plug in the paint. That's all Bill did. Block the shot, get the rebound and get it to Cousy to get the fast break going. Their great shooters took care of the rest. Russells' role was to get the ball.

With Stevens, it's the opposite. He has a mindset on the game he wants to play, and he is only interested in guys that can fit that mindset. That includes a lot of 3P shooting. Sometimes, I think that includes the ballboy. I have cringed when I've seen Baynes, a fine defensive player with stretch limitations, bricking 3s from the corner. Or Morris bricking 3s from anywhere.

Stevens' main weapon seems to be the 3, but he really doesn't have a lot of guys who can shoot 40% 3s! So maybe he doesn't have the right team for his style. Forced 3s are pretty painful to watch.

As for Williams, his role should be what he does best. He's Russell.

[Chris22]

This dude doesn't need to play offense. This team barely has enough shots to go around as it is. All they need him to do is block shots and clean up the glass. As long as he's doing those 2 things he should be seeing regular rotation minutes.

This is what I said. I would show him film of Russell and Rodman and tell him, this is what I want you to do.

[Sophomore]

This dude doesn't need to play offense. This team barely has enough shots to go around as it is. All they need him to do is block shots and clean up the glass. As long as he's doing those 2 things he should be seeing regular rotation minutes.

This is what I said. I would show him film of Russell and Rodman and tell him, this is what I want you to do.

And either Horford or Capela, on how to set a screen!

[iadera]

Williams is a good blocker with pretty bad defense and no shot at all. I just don't see him as a prospect on our roster. I see him overseas pretty fast.

[IDreamCeltics]

I am hoping that Williams doesn't have a problem understanding the intricacies of the team's offensive and defensive schemes. He played in a ridiculously simple system in college. He seems to have the talent. I just hope he has the intelligence to pick everything up quickly.

It does seem as though Brad's system asks a lot of big men.  In some systems you can have guys without a lot of skill who get to run to the rim on offense and drop on every pick and roll on defense.  On the Celtics you need to be able to perform dribble handoffs, pass to cutters, execute switches, etc.

Brad would really impress me if he adapts his style to the talent available.  For example, why not switch up the offense to something more traditional when Williams is in there?  Defense will not be expecting it.

I can see changing up an entire offensive system for a superstar or two, so that that player(s) can get more of their shots, but not for someone who is having trouble understanding your system.

For instance, mid season or so the Celtics implemented a highly successful two man pick & roll/pop wrinkle between Kyrie and Horford to give those to more high quality shots. They got them and the team was better for it. (I still question if this was a design by Stevens or Kyrie just started running it and Stevens liked it so kept it, but that is for another thread.)

This change gave the stars more touches and shots. If Kyrie and Davis are here, this would have to be the main staple of the offense to get Davis and Kyrie their shots, while everyone else takes the 3rd through 5th options on the floor.

Why do you think the Jrue Holiday/Anthony Davis PnR was so mediocre in NO?

[nickagneta]

I am hoping that Williams doesn't have a problem understanding the intricacies of the team's offensive and defensive schemes. He played in a ridiculously simple system in college. He seems to have the talent. I just hope he has the intelligence to pick everything up quickly.

It does seem as though Brad's system asks a lot of big men.  In some systems you can have guys without a lot of skill who get to run to the rim on offense and drop on every pick and roll on defense.  On the Celtics you need to be able to perform dribble handoffs, pass to cutters, execute switches, etc.

Brad would really impress me if he adapts his style to the talent available.  For example, why not switch up the offense to something more traditional when Williams is in there?  Defense will not be expecting it.

I can see changing up an entire offensive system for a superstar or two, so that that player(s) can get more of their shots, but not for someone who is having trouble understanding your system.

For instance, mid season or so the Celtics implemented a highly successful two man pick & roll/pop wrinkle between Kyrie and Horford to give those to more high quality shots. They got them and the team was better for it. (I still question if this was a design by Stevens or Kyrie just started running it and Stevens liked it so kept it, but that is for another thread.)

This change gave the stars more touches and shots. If Kyrie and Davis are here, this would have to be the main staple of the offense to get Davis and Kyrie their shots, while everyone else takes the 3rd through 5th options on the floor.

Why do you think the Jrue Holiday/Anthony Davis PnR was so mediocre in NO?

I honestly do not know whether Davis and Jrue's pnr was good or not. It could be due to a myriad of reasons, if indeed it is bad. But, really, I don't care. I trust that Davis, Kyrie, Horford, Hayward, and Stevens would figure out how to make a pnr offense work in conjunction with Stevens' normal system.

[IDreamCeltics]

Williams is a good blocker with pretty bad defense and no shot at all. I just don't see him as a prospect on our roster. I see him overseas pretty fast.

I feel like you could have said that about both Clint Capela and Montrezl Harell at some point in their careers too.  Now they're both pretty valuable role players.

[SHAQATTACK]

i m hoping like heck for KG