One of the main takeaways from Portland Trail Blazers Media Day was the optimistic update on the highly anticipated return of big man Robert Williams III. There were multiple promising quotes surrounding his health and recovery after he underwent yet another knee surgery that limited him to just six games with the Blazers last season.
For one, Williams said he was "good to go," and you could sense how excited he was to get back on the court. "I'm in a great space right now. It's been a long seven months. A long fight back. I'm ready to get back on the court, man. You see me smiling. There was a point when I couldn't walk."
Meanwhile, Sean Highkin of The Rose Garden Report had this update surrounding Williams: "He's been participating in full-contact five-on-five scrimmaging in recent weeks and should be mostly good to go when practices start this week."
Temper expectations for Williams this season
While that's generally good news, it's also concerning that Highkin says Williams should be "mostly good to go." If they aren't 100 percent comfortable with Williams being on the court, the Blazers are going to be patient in bringing him back, and rightfully so.
Williams even went as far as saying, "Once I'm cleared to play, hopefully, I'm out there every night." While that's great he's eager to get back out there, Williams should know it's unrealistic to play every game. The Blazers weren't planning on having him play back-to-back games last season before yet another significant knee injury, so they should be even more likely to have that approach this year.
Giving him limited minutes early on and having him sit out back-to-backs throughout the season could be beneficial for the Blazers. It would help them lose games, develop Donovan Clingan, and potentially boost Deandre Ayton's lackluster trade value.
Setting the bar too high could actually backfire. He's only played more than 35 games in two seasons so far in his career. Everyone involved—Williams, the Blazers' front office, and fans—should temper expectations, especially after Highkin's recent injury update.
Chauncey Billups said today that Robert Williams III went through all of practice on Tuesday and then sat out yesterday with soreness. They’re being conservative with him during camp but when he’s out there he’s doing everything. TBD if he plays preseason opener next week.
— Sean Highkin (@highkin) October 3, 2024
It's not ideal that he's already experiencing soreness and setbacks without having played a regular-season game so far. That could be the case throughout the entire 2024-25 season. Williams takes two steps forward and one step back. As long as he's healthy in the long term, the Blazers should be content with that non-linear road to recovery. But for this upcoming season, everyone should pump the brakes.