It was going so great! The Celtics had ascended to the top of the Eastern Conference after pummeling the Minnesota Timberwolves 134-112 at home. The team won 22 of the last 25 games and destroyed playoff squads on their path. The sweet triumph of victory was tempered when Rob Williams left the game with a knee sprain. However, on Monday we received the news that Rob tore his meniscus which will likely require surgery, and will be out several weeks. The injury is a blow to the Celtics, and it possibly adds to the list of season-defining injuries that affected this franchise in the past six years. In this article, we will review these significant injuries, how the teams fared, and the various possibilities surrounding the Timelords injury.
5. Isaiah Thomas in 2017-Isaiah Thomas was having an MVP Level season scoring 28.9 points and 5.9 assists per game. He played his way into the heart of the Celtics fanbase by playing tough despite being undersized, and shining brightest in the big moments of the fourth quarter by closing out ball games. Despite grieving the loss of his sister in a car accident, Thomas led the Celtics to a series win over the Wizards in the first round. However, in the 2nd game of the Conference semifinal against the Cavaliers, Thomas suffered an aggravation of a right femoral-acetabular impingement with labral tear after he initially injured his hip in a March game against the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Celtics probably would not have beaten the Lebron-led Cavaliers but the series was over when the team lost Thomas.
4. Gordon Hayward and Kyrie Irving in 2017-2018: The team looked loaded and one of the favorites to capture a championship after the blockbuster trade for Kyrie Irving and landing Gordon Hayward in free agency. However, just five minutes into his debut with the Celtics against the Cavaliers, Hayward suffered a gruesome injury, dislocating his left ankle and fracturing his left tibia. The injury ended his season and probably the team’s chances for that year. However, the team didn’t fold and kept fighting but then an injury to star Kyrie Irving suffered a knee surgery that caused him to miss the rest of the season. Despite the setbacks, the young squad pushed the Cavaliers to the brink in a Game 7 loss in the conference finals.
3. Gordon Hayward in 2020- the Covid pandemic led to a pause in the NBA season, and the league was forced to host the playoffs in a bubble format at the Walt Disney compound in Orlando. In the first game of the playoffs against the Sixers, Heyward suffered an ankle injury that prevented his ability to play the rest of the series and the conference semifinal. The Celtics did an outstanding job of rallying around each other and producing their best basketball to make it to the Eastern Conference finals. However, despite his return to the bubble Hayward was still compromised and the Celtics lost to the Heat in 6 games.
2. Jaylen Brown in 2021-Without Hayward and Irving looking over his shoulder, Jaylen was enjoying his best season in the league scoring 24.7 points and his first All-Star appearance. However, the team struggled to put together a consistent run and hovered at .500 for much of the season. The season was officially derailed when Brown suffered a torn ligament in his left wrist which ended his season. After surviving the play-in game, the Celtics lost to the Nets in five games due to Brown’s absence.
1. Rob Williams in 2022-in the NBA injuries affect most teams, and often the team that wins it all is the healthiest. However, the above shows that this franchise has a tough history of losing star players to injury when they needed them the most. Rob Williams is the anchor of a dominant defensive unit, and his ability to guard the rim and the perimeter as a big man is unmatched. In a best-case scenario, we hope the Timelord will only miss the first round of the playoffs. However, this team under Coach Udoka has shown the fans that they have the grit to rise above this loss and come together when people start doubting them. In a year when the playoffs are this wide-open, in the words of Kevin Garnett,’anything is indeed possible.’