Blazers’ Robert Williams III opens up about tough highway again from harm

The Portland Path Blazers are in Yr Two of their post-Damian Lillard period, having traded the star to the Milwaukee Bucks and giving him his greatest probability to win an NBA championship, a reward for his years of service to the Blazers. A part of this new-look Blazers is the previous Phoenix Suns huge man DeAndre Ayton, traded within the Lillard deal, and Robert Williams III, previously of the Boston Celtics, traded for Jrue Vacation. Nonetheless, Williams performed solely six video games for Portland on account of a knee harm, and he opened as much as reporters on Blazers Media Day on his highway to restoration.

“I am in a terrific house proper now,” the large man also called Timelord stated, by way of a publish from Blazers beat reporter Sean Highkin on X, previously Twitter. “It has been a protracted seven months. An extended struggle again. I am able to get again on the court docket, man. You see me smiling. There was some extent after I could not stroll.”

New beginnings for the Blazers

Simply earlier than the 2024 NBA Draft, the Blazers additionally landed Deni Avdija from the Washington Wizards in change for Malcolm Brogdon. This addition provides the workforce a starting-caliber participant whose size might cowl for Shaedon Sharpe and Anfernee Simons on protection and who might assist put Jerami Grant in scoring positions.

In the meantime, DeAndre Ayton performed solely 55 video games for the Blazers final season, however he stays their greatest offensive choice on the heart place. Whereas he averaged solely 16.7 factors and 11.1 rebounds in his first season together with his new workforce, there isn’t any one else on the roster that might give the identical manufacturing.

The Blazers may entertain the concept of buying and selling Ayton, since they’d moderately develop gamers like Scoot Henderson than attempt to win video games, however the marketplace for him may be chilly.

His sizable contract and underwhelming postseason performances for the Suns may scare contenders away from dealing for him.

Nonetheless, the Blazers may commerce Robert Williams III, regardless of his harm historical past, given his comparably small contract and that defensive huge males like Anthony Davis are in brief provide across the league.

Moreover, groups just like the Lakers have wished Jerami Grant for a couple of seasons, however they must hand over a lot when it comes to salaries and contracts to get him.

Robert Williams III’s harm restoration is not the one story of Blazers Media Day, so followers ought to look ahead to any additional developments as coaching camp begins.