NBA
Portland Trail Blazers get devastating news about Robert Williams III
Mat Issa is based in Sterling Heights, Michigan. Yes, he spells his name with one "t." He's obsessed with NBA history, so much so that he's dedicated nearly two years of research to his two mini-series', "Blazing the Trail" and "The Quest for the Best." Right now, Mat goes to law school and writes about the NBA for The Analyst, Forbes, and of course, Basketball Insiders. His work has also been featured in ESPN, SB Nation, FanSided, Basketball News, ONE37pm, and Raptors Republic. Also, he's a lifelong Spartans fan. Go Green!
All posts by Mat IssaUpdated07 Nov 2023
On Monday, it was reported that Portland Trail Blazers big man Robert Williams III will require surgery on his right knee – a procedure that could keep him out for a significant period of time.
Portland Trail Blazers center Robert Williams III will require right knee surgery, sources tell ESPN. Conversations with doctors and his agent are ongoing about the kind of procedure necessary for Williams and how long of a timeline will be needed for recovery. pic.twitter.com/zhStKii8hl
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) November 6, 2023
This Isn’t Just Any Injury
No matter what the situation, injuries always suck. However, they are a part of the sport, and plenty of players have serious injuries and go on to have long, successful playing careers after them (i.e., Kevin Durant and his torn Achilles).
But (as the headline suggests) this isn’t just any injury. Williams has a history of concerning injuries like this. Before this year, he’d only surpassed the 50 games played mark twice in his first five seasons. And he hasn’t done it at all since the 2021-22 season (more on this in a second). His questionable health is a large part of the reason he was even available to be traded in the first place.
On top of this, Williams hasn’t been the same since he rushed back from a torn meniscus injury in his left knee. On March 27, 2022, Williams tore his meniscus in his left knee. This type of injury usually takes multiple months to recover from (see Trey Murphy III). But Williams was back on the floor less than a month later (April 23, 2022).
He was noticeably hobbled throughout the playoffs (missing parts of the Boston Celtics’ matchups against the Milwaukee Bucks and Miami Heat). And then, in September of the same year, Williams needed to have an additional procedure on his left knee due to complications in his recovery. After that, Williams only played 35 of 82 games in the 2022-23 regular season.
Now, there is a chance that Williams is going to miss the entire year with another major knee injury. You never want to speculate on a player’s health, and you always wish them the best, but things are not looking good as it pertains to Williams’ long-term health.
Picking Up the Slack
Williams was part of the duo of blockbuster deals that the Blazers engaged in during the 2023 offseason. Specifically, he and Malcolm Brogdon headlined the deal that sent Jrue Holiday to the Celtics.
Through the early part of the year, Williams and the newly acquired Deandre Ayton have been taking turns manning the middle for Portland. The only other center on their roster is Duop Reath, who is on a two-way deal. The Blazers could convert Reath’s contract to a full-time NBA deal so that he can back up Ayton. They also could opt to play more small-ball center with guys like Jerami Grant and Toumani Camara in the minutes that Ayton is off the floor.
Through six games, Williams was averaging 6.8 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 1.2 BPG, and 1.2 SPG in 19.8 minutes of action per contest.
