Robert Williams III injury status and update ahead of Trail Blazers vs. Warriors

The Portland Trail Blazers already knew they were heading into their regular-season opener without two key contributors. Shaedon Sharpe suffered a small posterior labral tear in his left shoulder on October 5 and was given an estimated recovery timeline of four to six weeks. Then, Matisse Thybulle underwent a procedure on October 18 to address inflammation in his right knee and is expected to miss three to four weeks.

They will officially be down another piece in Robert Williams III, who is ruled out against the Golden State Warriors. Williams suffered a grade 1 hamstring strain on October 4. The Blazers gave his recovery timeline two weeks. But it's not surprising he's out to start the season, given Williams' injury history.

What is Robert Williams III's current injury status?

According to The Rose Garden Report's Sean Highkin on X, the Blazers are "hopeful that he'll be back very soon." Williams' next chances to play are Friday, October 25, and Sunday, October 27. Both games are at home against the New Orleans Pelicans. It would be great if Williams were good to go by then, as the Pelicans lack a true starting center, and he would help the Blazers exploit that weakness.

But it's more important that the Blazers take a long-term approach with RW3. In his six seasons, he's only averaged 35.8 games played. Although Williams' injury is relatively minor, the Blazers must be extremely patient and cautious with him, especially since they want to increase his trade value before the 2025 trade deadline.

What does Williams' absence mean for the Blazers?

The Blazers are much less talented on paper than the Warriors. Portland doesn't have an All-Star on their roster, while Golden State has two Hall of Famers that are still highly effective despite their closing windows.

The Blazers must take advantage of their size mismatch if they want to pull off the upset. While Williams would have significantly helped them in that department, they still have two seven-footers, Deandre Ayton and Donovan Clingan, who are more than capable of stepping up in his absence. Ayton had to do just that for practically the entire 2023-24 season, as Williams was limited to just six games after undergoing knee surgery due to a torn ligament.

Ayton likely would see close to the 32.4 minutes he averaged last season as the starter, regardless of Williams' status. However, Clingan should benefit from an increased role and more minutes as the backup center. This matchup against the Warriors presents a prime opportunity to get off to a hot start in his first regular season game of his career.

Duop Reath is another name to keep an eye on. He was buried as the No. 4 center on the Blazers' depth chart but showcased his ability to be impactful as a stretch big man in his surprising rookie season last year.

Williams is a key defensive contributor with his versatility and rim protection. But if there's one team well-equipped with center depth that can make up for his loss, it's Portland.