Williams set the best screen I ever saw him set last night. It was really solid and he also had a great pass to Wannamaker under the basket but Wannamaker didn't expect it and couldn't do anything with it. Williams has some skills. He needs to get at least a few minutes a game. I'm hoping for more blow outs so he can get more court time.
Better hope for other players being injured if you want to see William's as he is normally not active to play when everyone is healthy.
If Stevens just stops playing Horford as his only big at center, but let him play at PF where he had so much success last year there will be some minutes for Williams (and more for Theis).
The problem I laid out has zero to do with available minutes it has to do with the fact Steven's sees Williams as the 14th man and when everyone is healthy, then William's is not made active and so isn't even available to play if minutes opened up.
Well he should find a way to give him playing time (for example resting players), because he won't develop fast if he doesn't play minutes in the NBA. Almost every 1st round pick is getting extensive minutes and by that they're growing into legit NBA players. If we don't give Williams minutes then next summer he basically will be the same player as now and he won't be ready to step into the line-up.
It would be a waste of talent. Look at Mitchell Robinson (#36 pick), a player with the same profile as Williams and similarly talented (I'd have been ok with Robinson as the Celtics' pick as well). Both players show promising stats, but Robinson has already played 364 minutes and Willams only 33. Who's going to be the best player out of them by the end of the year?
And it's easy with Porzingis injured to play Robinson a lot of minutes, but Stevens has to see the whole picture. And Williams could be a vital part of the future of the Celtics. A coach needs to see more than the next game.
I can't believe I am once again going to have to explain the fact that players can actually develop when fans don't see them, like in practice, the weight room, the G League, walk throughs and by watching video. Giving a kid that isn't ready for NBA rotational minutes when they are not ready can create bad habits in the player, discourage the player if they struggle and can cause a player to lose his confidence and maybe get the yips(see Markelle Fultz).
Steven's has a track record of playing young players big minutes their rookie year if they are ready for the NBA, especially defensively. Smart, Brown, Tatum and Ojeleye are proof of that. He also plays young guys on rookie contracts big minutes when they are ready for NBA minutes, like Rozier. And he has a proven track record being right on players not good enough for the NBA like: Jordan Mickey, James Young, R J Hunter, etc., etc.
When Williams is ready and has earned NBA rotational minutes, he will play. Until then, he doesn't. He will just have to develop slowly because he isn't good enough and shouldn't be getting minutes until he is.