Celtics first-rounder Robert Williams sleeps through introductory conference call
It’s an experience many of you should be familiar with, waking up and frantically realizing you should have been up much earlier. After Monday, Robert Williams likely now knows the feeling all too well.
The Celtics first-round pick had to have his introductory conference call with the media postponed an hour, and he didn’t hide the reason for the delay when was finally on the phone with the reporters. Per MassLive and ESPN, the Texas A&M product simply overslept.
Originally scheduled for 11 a.m. ET, Williams reportedly didn’t get on the phone until after noon. The explanation he gave reporters was pretty understandable, he was simply tired after some of the most stressful days in the life of the typical professional basketball player. From MassLive:
“Right after the draft, I actually ran to my aunt’s house and went to sleep because I was so tired from everything,” Williams said. “When I woke, my sister was like, ‘You had a conference call.'” Williams also confirmed it was, “a good night’s sleep after a busy two days.”
Sleep inconsistencies and first impressions notwithstanding, the Celtics are still probably thrilled to have Williams aboard as the 27th overall pick, even if Terry Rozier slightly ruined the surprise.
Celtics get an NBA draft steal with Robert Williams
Williams’ decision to return to Texas A&M last season for his sophomore season was one of the surprises of last year’s draft season, as the Louisiana native was widely considered as a potential first-rounder. Despite a disappointing sophomore season, Williams was still seen as a lottery-level talent entering this year’s draft.
In 61 career games for ESPN, the 6-foot-9 Williams averaged 11.1 points, 8.7 rebounds and 2.5 blocks per game while shooting 59.1 percent from the field. He also picked up the award for SEC Defensive Player of the Year as a freshman.
Yahoo Sports’ Jordan Schultz projected Williams to No. 15 to the Wizards before the draft, so you can imagine Boston wasn’t quite sure if Williams was going to be there for them all the way back at No. 27. Once the Celtics did snag Williams, Schultz gave them an A grade for the pick and had plenty of good things to say about the big man, though the negatives tied to him are rather unfortunate when you consider what happened in one of Williams’ first obligations with his new team.
Boston got a super talent at No. 27 in Robert Williams, whom many feel had lottery talent. Williams is a strong rebounder with soft hands and has some Clint Capela to his game in terms of shot-blocking and rim-running ability. Questions about his motor and desire are why he slipped in the first round.
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