Concern about Celtics' big man depth grows with Robert Williams going under the knife again

BOSTON  -- Celtics big man/defensive mastermind Robert Williams needs to undergo what sounds like a fairly minor procedure on his knee ahead of the 2022-23 season. It's important not to overreact to Tuesday's news, which broke less than one month away from the new Celtics' season.

But given Williams' injury history, and Boston's extreme lack of center depth, it's also hard not to overreact. Even just a little bit. (This is also Boston, where we don't know how to react just a little bit in either direction.)

Williams is undergoing an arthroscopic procedure on the same knee that needed a meniscus repair last March. That injury sidelined him until the postseason, when Williams returned to help the Celtics make a run to the NBA Finals. But he still had to miss a handful of games after his return as the knee recovered and responded to rigorous playoff minutes. 

Williams missing time will likely be the case throughout next season, and has always been the biggest concern with the big man. Injuries -- and his extended time away -- have been all that has stood in the his way from being just a rotational piece to an All-World talent.

Williams logged career-highs in games played (61) and minutes per game (29.6) last year, and it is no coincidence that he had his best and most impactful season. Williams was the key to Boston's defensive turnaround and a big piece to why the Celtics tore through the rest of the NBA in the second half of the season. (Having Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown also helped.) Had Williams not gotten injured late in the season, there's a real good chance he would have won Defensive Player of the Year over teammate Marcus Smart.

Williams is going to be even more important this season, so long as he's healthy. This procedure shouldn't keep him out for long, if at all, but it further hammers home the fact that the Celtics have no real depth in the frontcourt. That remains the biggest concern surrounding a team hoping to get over the title hump this season.

It's a safe bet that Williams is going to need some time off here and there. Al Horford -- who bathed in the fountain of youth throughout last season and enjoyed an incredible resurgence for the Celtics -- is also going to get a lot more PTO in 2022-23. 

Get ready for a lot of small-ball minutes with Grant Williams at the five. And after that... we'll see.

The rest of Boston's big man depth is worrisome, to say the least. "Unproven" is probably the best word to describe the bunch of bigs. Danilo Gallinari was supposed to provide some stretch-five minutes, but he's done for the season before it even tipped off. Bruno Caboclo and Mfiondu Kabengele (whom the Celtics signed to a two-way deal in the offseason) will compete for big-man minutes in camp. (UPDATE: No more Bruno.) So will camp invitee Noah Vonleh. Moving tree Luke Kornet is also in tow (on a non-guaranteed contract) to provide some minutes when needed. (The man does set a mean pick when needed.)

The Celtics do have an open roster spot, and the Williams news will likely reignite those Carmelo Anthony rumors that sparked up and were extinguished a few weeks ago. If Brad Stevens senses that Ime Udoka is really desperate for another giant to crash the boards, he could turn to free agents like Dwight Howard, DeMarcus Cousins, and Hassan Whiteside. A Greg Monroe reunion could also be in the cards. Daniel Theis just needs to join another team and then have that team release him (which is not entirely out of the realm of possibility) to pave the way for a third go-around in Boston. But convincing Wyc Grousbeck to open up his wallet -- and further creep over the tax line -- for those guys may be a tough sell for Stevens. 

The Celtics still have time to add a big man, and it's not something they need to rush at the moment. Williams should be back early in the season, and maybe the procedure will give him another level of bounce to his already bouncy game. If he's back and rejecting shots into oblivion, most will be well in the land of Celtics basketball.

But there's always that concern that Williams is going to have to miss time, and a good chunk of time at that. Add in the plan to preserve Horford, and the Celtics' frontcourt could get real desperate real fast.

For now, we'll try not to worry too much about it. The sky is still the limit for the Boston Celtics in 2022-23. But they'd have a much easier time reaching that sky with a little more depth among their big men.