BOSTON — Celtics rookie center Amari Williams appeared destined for a full season in the G League.
Then, in one of the biggest games of the year thus far, he was suddently tasked with slowing down Detroit Pistons center Jalen Duren, playing substantial rotation minutes, and helping securing the game-saving rebound.
On Wednesday, the Celtics walked away with a clutch 117-114 win, snapping a 13-game Pistons win streak. And Williams, who had no real NBA experience, unexpectedly played a sizable role in the victory.
“That was impressive from Amari,” said Jaylen Brown. “I’m not gonna lie, he hasn’t been with us. A lot of pressure, high-profile game — to come in and make an impact? Credit to him.”
To make matters more impressive, the 23-year-old knew he’d be coming to Boston for Wednesday’s showdown, but had no heads up that he’d be playing real minutes.
“I didn’t have any idea I was gonna play, to be honest,” Wiliams told CelticsBlog after the win.
Amari Williams has been a standout in Maine so far
The Maine Celtics center, drafted 46th overall by the Celtics in June, has been solid in the early weeks of the season.
Through Maine’s first seven games, Williams averaged 12.7 points, 10.7 rebounds, 4.4 assists, and 1.9 blocks, quickly establishing himself among the league’s most well-rounded bigs.
“He’s a monster,” said head coach Phil Pressey earlier this month. “He’s a beast. I think he has a high upside.”
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Still, despite early positive flashes, it seemed unlikely that Williams would head to Boston anytime soon; the 23-year-old had yet to join the Celtics for any roadtrips, while fellow two-way player Ron Harper Jr. had already joined the parent club in Orlando, Philadelphia, and New York.
However, life in the G League is unpredictable and circumstantial, and players rarely know when opportunities will arise or what their future holds. On Sunday, Williams learned that Celtic starting center Neemias Queta had sprained his ankle and could miss some time. That was enough to put him in the mindset that he might be needed.
What Williams did not know was that Queta’s injury meant he was almost immediately going to get a sizable opportunity in a primetime Celtics game. Joe Mazzulla turned to him midway through the first quarter, and he ended up tallying 15 minutes, primarily tasked with matching up against Duren.
“I know that Neemy was hurt,” Williams said. “I knew that all of us two-way guys were gonna be here, regardless. You know, Max [Shulga] and Ron Harper, too. So just hearing that he was hurt, and it was possible I might play — I was ready from that moment.“
In a flash, the same guy who has been playing in front of a 2,000-person crowd at the Portland Expo suited up in front of the most electric Celtics crowd of the year. And, weirdly, it felt comfortable; Williams spent his last season at Kentucky, playing in big-time college games in front of the raucous Rupp Arena.
“I feel like it’s just basketball at the end of the day,” Williams said. “The crowd — we love the crowd. They make a big difference for us. It’s been that way since college, so just kind of having that feeling of that experience definitely helped me tonight.”
In his 15 minutes of action, Williams blocked two Cade Cunningham shot attempts and grabbed three rebounds.
While his box score numbers won’t jump out, his teammates were left impressed with his efforts, especially given the competition.
“I thought he looked great,” Brown said. “He was battling on the boards. He gave us that physicality that we needed down there. Because rebounding is something that we got to do, but we got a lot of small guys. So, it’s only so much that your personnel can do — a big body like Amari makes a big difference.
“He was great,” said Derrick White.
Williams knew that Duren would be a challenge; the Pistons center is averaging 19.8 points and 11.8 rebounds per game this season and seems to be on the cusp of his first All-Star appearance.
That just meant he had to be laser-focused heading into the game.
“He’s a great player,” Williams said. “He’s definitely one of the best bigs in the league. So, being aware and knowing what he’s doing, I feel like that’s something I was ready for going into tonight, and it worked out for the better. He still got the better of me in some possessions, but that’s just the learning process of it. But it was definitely a great battle.”
The connection between Maine and Boston helped prepare Williams
Phil Pressey and the coaching staff in Maine run the same schemes and plays that Mazzulla and the staff in Boston run, so while Williams hasn’t spent much time with the parent club since training camp, the transition was seamless.
For Mazzulla, giving Williams the chance to suit up felt natural.
There’s a long line of Celtics rotation players who got their roots in Maine — Jordan Walsh, Baylor Scheierman, Neemias Queta, Sam Hauser — and Mazzulla trusts the process.
“It starts with Amari just being able to play those 15 minutes, and then trickles down to the connectivity of Maine and the work that Phil does and their assistants,” Mazzulla said. “And then just our player development staff, just a continuity for the ability of a guy to step right in and know the plays, know the coverages, all the pregame work that the player development staff does on the court, and then with personnel, that’s just kind of a testament to the alignment. One, to Amari’s mindset, but also to the staff. So, I think all those things combined, it felt just as comfortable for him to be on the floor tonight [as anyone else]. I thought he did some good stuff.”
Brown, who tallied 33 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals, and 2 blocks in the win, left impressed with the rookie’s efforts.
“Amari has talent,” Brown said. “He can pass the ball. He’s a big guy who knows the game, but that was a big-time performance for him.”
How long Neemias Queta misses with his ankle injury remains to be seen; on Wednesday, Mazzulla described Queta as “day-to-day.” If Queta remains out, Williams’ services could be needed in upcoming games against the Cleveland Cavaliers and Minnesota Timberwolves.
Williams intends to be ready, regardless of what opportunity is available.
“It’s just kind of what the guys have always been telling me since I stepped foot in Boston — it’s just always stay ready for when your numbers called,” Williams said. “And that’s what happened tonight.”
