KINGSTON -- The decision for Boston Celtics rookie Robert Williams to live near the team's swanky new Brighton practice facility was his alone.
Mostly.
"May have been some encouragement," Williams said. "But it was my decision."
Williams, in an appearance at the unveiling of an Arbella Home Court Makeover on Wednesday, said he can walk to the facility in two or three minutes. His smile made the implication of his decision (his own decision!) clear -- the rookie, who has struggled with reliability, will have no distractions and no excuses the closer he lives to the facility. There will be no traffic and no car issues. There are no worries about his wallet -- he can always go grab it if he forgets. All Williams has to do is set an alarm, slip his feet into his slides and grab his shoes.
Things have settled down for Williams since the first tumultuous days of his Celtics career. The team had no issues with Williams at Summer League in Las Vegas, and Brad Stevens said Williams went back to Boston shortly after the rookie transition program.
"The number one thing is to become as comfortable on both sides of the ball and our system and being an NBA player as he can," Stevens said. "He's been really, really active here in the offseason and since the rookie transition program has basically been in Boston. Been working really hard, and I'm really encouraged by what I've seen so far."
After the draft, one league source said the Celtics were the perfect team for Williams to join because they assume no risk for his success (or lack thereof). But the Celtics aren't treating Williams like scratch ticket -- to be discarded if he doesn't hit sufficiently. They assigned assistant coach Alex Barlow to help mentor him personally, and Williams said Stevens has made it clear that his office door is always open for a conversation -- basketball-related or otherwise.
"He's one of the most hands-on coaches I've ever worked with," Williams said. "He's always hands on. Ask him directly. If you have a question for him, his office is always open as far as basketball and off the court. He actually conditioned with me on a bike today. That's kind of funny. ... Everything, weight-wise, on the court working, even becoming a better man. Everything, the coaches are hands-on on and off the court."
A summer of hands-on coaching seems apparent in Williams' approach. At one point on Wednesday, he referenced how valuable he could be to the team.
"There's people that have a lot of time, a lot of money invested in you now," Williams said. "And they don't want to mess up what they got going."
Williams has good examples to follow on the Celtics roster as well. He said he usually works out at 8 or 8:30 a.m. As he arrives at the practice facility, Aron Baynes and Al Horford are often leaving -- having finished their work for the day after a 6 a.m. start.
For now, it's the offseason, and there's no reason for Williams to begin his day at 6 a.m. if he doesn't feel like it. But having veterans like Horford who can demonstrate consistency could leave a lasting impression.
"Seeing that exact same repetition, that same consistency every day, I've learned a lot from them already," Williams said.
Williams is self-aware, which seems to be working well in concert with the coaches' tutelage. At the event on Wednesday, Williams was surrounded by kids celebrating the unveiling of the court. For the 20-year-old, who still wears braces and said all he does in his free time is play NBA 2K and listen to music, the novelty of being someone people are excited to meet hasn't worn off. He knows the impact a simple encounter with an NBA player can have on kids, and the responsibility that comes with that clout.
"I started off with a bad slate -- missing flights, losing wallets more than once -- but it's a new place, a new era, a new state," Williams said, gesturing around the backyard of the Kingston home. "I have a chance to prove to everyone out here I am a trustworthy, reliable, accountable guy. They're not out here screaming, 'Where's your wallet?' They support me. It's love. That's the thing I picked up most about Boston. It's more of a family kind of area than it is anything else. I feel like the love and support from everyone is going to help me be on the right track. Help me want to prove that I am what you think I am -- why you are holding me at such a high pedestal, a high level. Because at this level, you are, and you have to live up to it."
The rewards of living up to it can be significant. Williams showed up to the event on time on Wednesday and sweat through a viciously hot skills demonstration. The reaction was everything he could hope for.
"(Kids) just come up to you smiling from ear to ear man, it's crazy," Williams said. "I asked one kid, 'Why you smiling so hard? You about to make me smile.' He's like, 'You're Robert Williams.' It's just a blessing man. ... Just knowing that they know who I am, not even the adults, but like you said, the kids. It's unbelievable. It's crazy. I still can't believe it as I talk about it. It's a blessing."