- Joined
- May 8, 2002
- Posts
- 1,170,998
- Reaction score
- 59
Today in Boston Celtics history, the storied selected a single player in the 2018 NBA Draft, which took place in New York City that year. To the surprise of nearly everyone, the raw yet promising big man from Texas A&M, Robert Williams III, a rim-running and shot-blocking prospect, fell to the Celtics at the 27th overall pick.
Timelord (as Williams came to be called for a nickname) had an injury-plagued tenure with Boston. While he had to deal with several seasons plagued with injury, he grew into a formidable player on both ends of the floor -- when he could stay on it. He even stole the team's starting role by the end of the 2020-21 NBA season and earning All-Defensive Second Team honors in the subsequent season.
Traded by Boston to the Portland Trail Blazers in 2023, injuries have continued to limit his career in recent years, but the Louisiana native appears to be on the mend in terms of health since last season.
It is also the anniversary of the trade that sent former Boston big man Eric Montross to the Dallas Mavericks with a draft pick in exchange for the draft assets that became Antoine Walker and Ron Mercer. Montross had been picked up by the Celtics with the ninth overall pick of the 1994 NBA Draft and averaged 8.8 points and 6.6 rebounds per game over two seasons with Boston.
In 1950, the Celtics sold the rights of small forward George "the Golden Greek" Kaftan to the New York Knicks. Kaftan had been drafted by Boston out of Holy Cross with the fourth overall pick of the 1949 Basketball Association of America (BAA - a precursor league to the NBA). He played for the franchise for two seasons, logging an average of 11 points and 2.7 assists per game with the Celtics.
It was also on this day that the Celtics traded Matisse Thybulle to the Philadelphia 76ers for Carsen Edwards and Ty Jerome a day after picking him up in the 2016 NBA Draft. Edwards would stick with the team for a few seasons, and Jerome was dealt away soon afterward.
This article originally appeared on Celtics Wire: Celtics history: Robert Williams draft; Eric Montross, George Kaftan trade
Continue reading...
Timelord (as Williams came to be called for a nickname) had an injury-plagued tenure with Boston. While he had to deal with several seasons plagued with injury, he grew into a formidable player on both ends of the floor -- when he could stay on it. He even stole the team's starting role by the end of the 2020-21 NBA season and earning All-Defensive Second Team honors in the subsequent season.
Traded by Boston to the Portland Trail Blazers in 2023, injuries have continued to limit his career in recent years, but the Louisiana native appears to be on the mend in terms of health since last season.
You must be registered for see images attach
Transactions
It is also the anniversary of the trade that sent former Boston big man Eric Montross to the Dallas Mavericks with a draft pick in exchange for the draft assets that became Antoine Walker and Ron Mercer. Montross had been picked up by the Celtics with the ninth overall pick of the 1994 NBA Draft and averaged 8.8 points and 6.6 rebounds per game over two seasons with Boston.
You must be registered for see images attach
In 1950, the Celtics sold the rights of small forward George "the Golden Greek" Kaftan to the New York Knicks. Kaftan had been drafted by Boston out of Holy Cross with the fourth overall pick of the 1949 Basketball Association of America (BAA - a precursor league to the NBA). He played for the franchise for two seasons, logging an average of 11 points and 2.7 assists per game with the Celtics.
It was also on this day that the Celtics traded Matisse Thybulle to the Philadelphia 76ers for Carsen Edwards and Ty Jerome a day after picking him up in the 2016 NBA Draft. Edwards would stick with the team for a few seasons, and Jerome was dealt away soon afterward.
This article originally appeared on Celtics Wire: Celtics history: Robert Williams draft; Eric Montross, George Kaftan trade
Continue reading...
