As we all continue to age in dog years, things that were once clowned on (i.e. fannypacks) or were 90s staples have come back in full force, which is why I am psyched to pull back the curtain on The 300s Dad Hats. Buy Now
Oh and we got snapbacks too. Buy Now
The Celtics have been anything but idle this offseason so it’s hard to fault them for not at least trying to improve after last season’s flameout. Among those moves is the 4-year $54 million contract extension for Robert Williams III, which means Time Lord shirts are now essential. (Swipe swipe)
Time Lord really has become a cult figure amongst fans in Boston as you either stan for the freakishly athletic, rebound grabbing big man with silky smooth passing skills or you rail against the undersized, oft injured backup center.
I fall into the former category and so do a lot of our readers, evidenced by the fact that the Time Lord shirt is by far our best selling shirt.
While it may seem like splitting atoms to fans, the contract isn’t fully guaranteed with a portion of the deal based on incentives tied to playing time (something that has eluded Williams due to injuries).
Williams can earn just over a $1 million each season if he hits those incentives, which mostly hinge on his playing time. The big man can earn $446,000 per year if he plays 69 or more games, according to Brian Robb of MassLive. Should he hit that mark, Williams can earn even more if the Celtics make it to the conference semifinals and/or conference finals.
Hitting the 69 game mark is no guarantee for Williams, considering the 23-year-old has never played in more than 52 games over his three NBA seasons. Injuries have long been his nemesis, and he’ll have to shake that to earn the maximum value over the life of his extension with Boston. – via CBS Boston
Robert Williams’ contract extension with the Celtics includes escalating unlikely bonuses per season worth a total of $6M:
— Keith Smith (@KeithSmithNBA) August 27, 2021
22-23: $10,714,287
23-24: $11,571,429
24-25: $12,428,571
25-26: $13,285,713
$48M in base salary, $54M if all bonuses are earned@spotrac @celticsblog
I admit I was a bit surprised at the size of this deal when I first saw it, $10 million +/- a couple mil for a big man that can run the floor is not outrageous. If Williams can continue to improve, both his game and his 18.9 minutes per game, then this contract will end up being a solid deal for the Celtics.
Obviously if he continues getting hurt and playing less than 52 games a season then this deal could end up being a problem. The one thing I will say though is this is an easily tradable contract because of William’s potential as a player, but more importantly the relatively low average annual value. So while this does eat into the Celtics cap space, it does not preclude them from making a deal for someone like Bradley Beal should that opportunity present itself.
Not to mention the benefit of keeping your best player happy by re-signing guys he actually wants to play with.
Jayson Tatum said Robert Williams is probably his favorite player to play with because of his energy, presence and how he does the little things.
— Jay King (@ByJayKing) April 29, 2021
As I’ve said here in the past, I am a huge jersey guy and as part of that I refuse to buy any player’s jersey unless they’ve recently signed a contract extension because I’ve been burned before. Robert Williams III is now locked into the C’s long terms plans so if you haven’t done so already, go get yourself a Time Lord shirt and get ready for the season.
Our loyal 300s fans know that Red and I have not been shy about our love for Celtics rookie Robert Williams (or “Bob”), as we’ve been in his corner since Day 1.
No need to rehash past transgressions; he’s seemed to have his head on straight for the past few months. And, most importantly, the big fella made his NBA debut last night in the Celtics’ 93-90 loss to the Orlando Magic.
Bob played about four minutes and did not record one meaningful statistic, BUT that does not mean he was unnoticeable. The 21-year-old wasn’t shy about getting involved on the defensive end, showing off his toughness and pure athleticism with a few contested shot attempts.
In fact, Al Horford made sure the people knew about Bob’s under-the-radar performance after the game (h/t MassLive):
“It was good. He impacted [Nikola] Vucevic in the post there, he tried to make a move and he felt the length. I was happy to see Rob. He looked fearless out there. Now, obviously that Baynes is out, I’m sure he’ll continue to get an opportunity.”
FEARLESS. (Also, “Rob??!!” Come on, Al. It’s Bob. Stop with that.)
At the very least, it was a small taste of what the kid can bring to the table for a team that, until recently, was pretty lackluster and unintimidating in the post for quite some time. Hopefully it’s a sign of better things to come in short order – especially if Aron Baynes’s hamstring injury lingers longer than expected.
Well done, Bob. We’re proud of ya. Keep it up.
Well, Sunday was a great day in Boston. For the first time in a long time, the Celtics, Patriots, AND Red Sox were all victorious on the same day.
Sure, the Pats victory was the only one that mattered, as the Celtics are only playing preseason ball at the moment and the Sox already locked up their spot in the postseason what feels like eons ago. But October is officially here, which is the one month per year we get all four of our beloved squads playing meaningful action at the same time. The Pats, Celts, and Bruins are either already in or about to be in the fresh, young stages of the season, and the Sox are getting set for another World Series run.
What a time to be alive in the Bean!
This piece is going to focus on the Green, though, after a 1-1 series split with the Charlotte Hornets this past weekend. Rather than break down each game, let’s instead take a look at a few key takeaways:
Mixed Results for Hayward
If you were to look solely at Gordon Hayward’s stat line from the weekend, you might think things didn’t really go so hot for him: 3-of-14 from the field overall; 1-of-7 from deep; seven rebounds; and four assists.
Sure, those shooting numbers are pretty rough, but he did have seven rebounds and four assists in 44 total minutes of action. Also, it was the first two games the guy has played in since October 17 of last year; he’s still shaking off the rust.
Hayward even admitted as much after Friday night’s contest (h/t ESPN Boston):
“The one cut to the rim, I usually would have dunked that one. Tried to go up off my leg and just didn’t have it, I guess,” Hayward said. “So, that stuff I think will come back, that little explosion. I’m certain of that. … It was just the speed of the game, just the crowd, that’s something I need to get used to again.”
Now, I’m not going to lie, the whole “tried to go up off my leg and just didn’t have it” part of that quote didn’t leave me with the warm and fuzzies, but I’m hoping it really is just a muscle memory sort of thing as opposed to any residual physical limitation.
Regardless of how mediocre his play might have been this weekend, all that matters is Hayward got through the first two games without issue. That’s all we can ask for at this point.
Morris Looks Ready to Go
After serving as one of the very best bench pieces in the entire NBA last season, Marcus Morris looks rearing to go in 2018. Morris finished the weekend with 24 total points in 35 minutes of action on 9-of-21 shooting from the floor overall, including 46 percent from three-point land.
However, the most impressive numbers associated with Morris were actually his plus-6 and plus-11 finishes, respectively. Morris’s toughness and relentless energy permeate throughout the rest of his teammates each time he is on the floor, on BOTH ends, and efficiency numbers like this only further prove that point.
Easily talented enough to be a starter on most teams throughout the Association, Morris is content to serve as one the Green’s most important reserves on a loaded roster. After coming up with the nickname “BWA” (Bench With Attitude) for he and the rest of the team’s reserves this season, Morris doubled down on the moniker with a clear message for the rest of the league just a few days ago:
Marcus Morris lays out the BWA’s mission statement for the 2018-19 season:
“When our second unit comes in, if their second unit’s not ready, you’re getting your ass busted, you know what I’m saying? That’s what it’s going to be.”
— Chris Forsberg (@ChrisForsberg_) September 26, 2018
We may still be two weeks away from regular-season action, but Morris is already chomping at the bit. LFG!
Bob Gets Some Praise
I’m proud of you, Bob!
Not only did Robert Williams finish the weekend with eight points and three boards in 20 minutes on the floor, but it was his key block that sealed the victory over the Hornets on Sunday night.
The “block” was actually an even more impressive tip on a three-point attempt from Charlotte’s Malik Monk, which, were it to go in, would have given the Hornets a two-point lead with about 15-ish seconds left to play. However, Williams was able to use his huge wingspan and quickness to get out to the perimeter just in time, forcing Monk’s shot completely off course:
ROBERT WILLIAMS WITH THE GAME-SEALING BLOCK and assist pic.twitter.com/PuSUwqY649
— Taylor Snow (@taylorcsnow) October 1, 2018
But, as pointed out by fellow teammate Kyrie Irving, it was Williams’s actions after the block that truly stood out to him: After Monk’s missed shot attempt landed in the hands of Celtics rookie Brad Wanamaker, Williams was passed the ball and had an easy lane toward the basket. However, rather than try and continue to show off after an impressive swat, he simply passed the ball to Guerschon Yabusele, who laid in the dagger for the win. He chose the easy basket over the flashy play, which is a decision that flies right in the face of those who continue to worry about his “maturity” issues.
Said Irving after the game (h/t Celtics.com):
“Those little things right there show you how well he fits in the mold of being a Boston Celtic,” said Kyrie Irving, who scored a team-high 20 points. “He makes the huge play and then passes to Guersch when he could’ve easily wind-milled or done something crazy for the crowd. But he passes to Guersch, we seal the game, and I know that felt good for him and for the rest of us.”
Nice work, kid! Keep it up!
Besides those three takeaways, it was a solid overall weekend for the C’s. While they didn’t come without each of their own struggles at times, each and every one of the starters also looked terrific at points this weekend. There truly wasn’t one thing that stood out to me as a concern going forward. Yes, it’s only October 1, and yes, we’re only through two preseason games. But it was a good start for the Green this weekend.
The next preseason game for the C’s is on Tuesday night at home against the now-LeBron-less Cleveland Cavaliers.
The 300s 