Robert Williams III came over to the Portland Trail Blazers as part of the initial Jrue Holiday deal and was supposed to be a key part of that return. Unfortunately, that hasn't been the case, as Williams has totaled just 26 games in two seasons with the Blazers.
Williams is still an impactful two-way player on the court, averaging 5.8 points, 5.9 rebounds, 1.1 assists, and 1.7 blocks in just 17.6 minutes per game last season. But his injury history makes him too unreliable. Knee problems haunt big men throughout their careers, and anything Portland gets from here on out should just be considered a bonus.
Robert Williams' unreliable health leaves Blazers with questions at center
Sean Highkin of The Rose Garden Report was recently asked how he expects Chauncey Billups to distribute minutes at the center position this season. Part of his response covered the tricky Williams situation, writing, "The wild card is Robert Williams III, and how much he'll be able to play. As far as I've heard, he's healthy right now, but given his history, you can't count on him being available for an extended part of the season. Even if he's healthy, he will likely continue not playing back-to-backs and have his minutes limited."
The Blazers have heavily invested in their center spot with consecutive first-round picks, Donovan Clingan and Yang Hansen. Given his timeline fit and injury history, Williams is clearly the odd man out. That's not a long-term problem for Portland, considering his $13.3 million contract expires after this season. They could let Williams walk if he isn't healthy, meaning he's not a negative asset; he's just there.
However, this short-term issue is problematic for a Portland team with high expectations for next season. They made a win-now trade for Jrue Holiday, but the Blazers won't win anything significant until they have a reliable center rotation.
Clingan proved he's ready for an increased role with his stellar play towards the end of last season. He also has conditioning issues and question marks surrounding whether he can sustain that same production level throughout an 82-game season as a starter.
Hansen has even more question marks. Although Billups envisions an immediate role for Hansen, there will inevitably be growing pains for Portland's rookie, especially for someone who has to adjust to coming over from the CBA rather than the traditional college route.
Meanwhile, fourth-string center Duop Reath is essentially matchup dependent. There were even times last season where Billups elected to play Deni Avdija or Jabari Walker as an undersized center instead of Reath.
Portland's center position is solidified for the future. Buying out Deandre Ayton was the right move to clear the path for their young core. Clingan is already a starting-level big man due to his impact as a defensive anchor, and Hansen could even provide them an upgrade at that position should he pan out. But in terms of next season, Portland has more questions than answers at the five.
Williams can no longer be relied on as their much-needed veteran presence. Playing a rookie-sophomore center duo for most of the minutes will be a glaring roster weakness for Portland next season, and could be the very reason they don't achieve their play-in goal.