Ime Udoka: Celtics Not “Ruling Out” Robert Williams III 1st Round Return

CHICAGO — Robert Williams III isn’t with the Celtics as they begin the road trip through Chicago, Milwaukee and Memphis that’ll conclude their 2021-22 regular season. He’s been at Auerbach Center for two-a-day rehab sessions toward returning within a 4-6 week window Boston established following his partial meniscectomy on his left knee on Mar. 30.

The four-week window falls on Apr. 27, short of even the earliest date the conference semifinals can begin on (Apr. 30), and Ime Udoka told CLNS Media at shootaround on Wednesday that the Celtics haven’t ruled out Williams III returning in the first round.

“We haven’t looked at him being here for the first round, honestly,” Udoka told CLNS. “4-6 timeline is what it is, and everybody kind of reacts differently to surgeries, but if possible, we haven’t really ruled him out, obviously being if he’s ready, but we’re going in with the mindset that he won’t be there for the first round.”

Williams III talked to the media last week and expressed confidence he’ll get back to form after a surgery he was told by doctors went as well as it could possibly go. The Celtics’ team doctors removed the tear, keeping the door open for a return this season, rather than a longer-term full repair of the meniscus due to the location of the tear, Udoka said. He added that Williams III began the mobility and flexibility portion of his rehab this week following the surgery before progressing to weight-bearing. Adrian Wojnarowski originally reported the optimism on Boston’s side that Williams III could return even sooner than the four-week window.

“Two-a-days will ramp up pretty quickly,” Udoka said.

The rehab entered its first steps when Williams III spoke last week, with a focus on non-movement strengthening of his tendons. He’ll progress from walking to running to making angles and cuts, but Williams III felt good about his ability to move on his own in the aftermath of the surgery.

Boston will continue to acclimate Al Horford, Daniel Theis and Grant Williams into their roles over the final three games, with Udoka expecting the Celtics to play out their schedule until seeding is set. Theis said at shootaround he feels comfortable switching one through five, as well as drop coverages, as Udoka expects to utilize him on and away from the ball in double big sets next to Horford, while the starting lineup will be dictated by matchups.

The Celtics remain in the No. 2 seed in a three-way tie with Milwaukee and Philadelphia. Miami clinches the No. 1 seed with one more win, while the Bucks and Celtics can secure No. 2 by winning out. That would line Boston up against the winner of the 7-8 matchup, likely Cleveland and one of Brooklyn, Atlanta or Charlotte in a packed play-in picture. The Raptors have ascended to the No. 5 seed by winning 7-of-10, while the Bulls have fallen 1.0 game behind Toronto into No. 6, clinching that seed at worst, but more likely than not to fall into that spot.

Boston currently owns tiebreakers over both Milwaukee and Philadelphia, with Thursday’s game at the Bucks key to both teams in three-way tie-breaking scenarios. The Sixers close at Toronto and against the Pacers and Pistons at home. The Bucks host the Celtics on Thursday before traveling to Detroit and Cleveland. The Grizzlies, who Boston finishes the season against on Sunday, are without Ja Morant for now and locked into the west’s No. 2 seed.

“We left (Williams III) in Boston to kind of expedite the process,” Udoka told CLNS. “Although he could’ve done it here, he’s a guy who’s locked in with the guys, so felt it was better to leave him there and get the process rolling as fast as possible. Like I said, he’s in good spirit, it’s his first surgery, so he’s attacking it with the right mindset and hoping to have him back as soon as possible.”