Paul Pierce: Time Lord has future as starting center for C's originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
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Robert Williams has made some tremendous strides since joining the Boston Celtics in 2018, and Paul Pierce has taken notice.
"The Truth" joined the Celtics Pregame Live crew Wednesday night and was asked by former C's teammate Kendrick Perkins whether he believes Williams is Boston's future starting center (video above).
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"Robert Williams is really making a case for a starting spot and being a future of the Boston Celtics," Pierce told Perkins. "I liked him in college, actually. He was a premier shot-blocker, rebounder. He got past that incident early in his career, and so I think he's starting to mature now."
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Pierce played with Perkins for seven-plus seasons in Boston, so he knows what the ex-Celtics big man brings to the table as a teammate and as a competitor. He went on to tell Perkins he could be a great mentor for the 23-year-old.
"I really think he's the type of player you could take under your wing," Pierce said. "You've been a big man in Boston, you know what it means for Celtic pride and to be in his position. Just like yourself, Perk, he's playing with other stars to where his opportunities don't come every night.
"For you, you made a name for yourself in this league. You were one of the premier defensive players in all of the league. People feared you. I feel like you could really bring that to the table for this young guy. But I do believe that he has a future in Boston."
Williams has made the most of his uptick in minutes this season. He's improved in every major statistical category including points per game (7.3), rebounds (6.1), and blocks (1.7). Over his last two games, Time Lord has tallied 30 points and pulled down 22 boards.
If Williams keeps up this pace, Brad Stevens will have no choice but to pile more minutes onto his plate. After that, it's hard not to picture him as a regular in the Celtics starting lineup somewhere down the line.
