Robert Williams III Injury: Second Surgery Signals Potential Left Knee Arthritis

Celtics' all-defensive center Robert Williams III underwent a left knee scope and is expected to miss 4-to-6 weeks, potentially sidelining Williams III for the start of the 2022-23 season.

The news of Williams' recent surgery raise concerns he may be dealing with early arthritis in his left knee, according to the Pro Basketball Docs. If that is the case, he will likely require more rest days to sustain his knee health over the season.

In the short-term, Boston won't press his return for the sake of the schedule, so Williams III will likely miss some games and he should return during that 4-to-6 week window.

Williams III previously underwent left knee surgery in late March to trim a piece of his torn meniscus and returned in only three weeks on a similar 4-to-6 week timeline.

Hopefully this knee scope is routine and done to prevent any further issues this season, but back-to-back procedures on the same knee does raise some questions. 

The 24-year-old suffered a left knee bone bruise from Giannis Antetokounmpo's driving knee early in the second round and dealt with lingering soreness during the extended playoff run.

Williams told Chris Haynes during the Finals that he had his knee drained of excess fluid multiple times but decided to play through it because it felt like Sisyphus rolling a rock up a hill. 

Among the Celtics' community, the surgery has raised more questions about the elite defensive force's long-term health. 

Bulls' young point guard Lonzo Ball underwent a similar procedure in January to treat a meniscus and bone bruise injury and is still sidelined by lingering soreness.

Williams dropped in the 2018 Draft because of bilateral knee tendonitis and has been a limited contributor for most of his career to manage his knees.