Woj: 'Very Real' Chance Celtics' Robert Williams Returns from Injury in Nets Series

Uh-oh, Bruce Brown—you might have to face Robert Williams III after all.

ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported on Wednesday's NBA Countdown that there was a "very real" possibility the Boston Celtics' center could return for the team's first-round matchup with the Brooklyn Nets.

As Woj noted, Game 6 of the series—if necessary—would be about one month after Williams had surgery on the meniscus in his left knee.

"The thought from the very beginning was, because of the nature of this meniscus surgery, that he could be back even within that one-month timetable," Woj continued. "He's continued to progress, he's met all his benchmarks so far I'm told, and there's a real possibility for Boston ... he could be back to play against the Nets in the back end of this series."

After the Nets beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 115-108 in Tuesday's play-in game, Brown looked ahead to the series with Boston, citing Williams' injury as a key factor.

"We got to be physical with them," he told reporters. "Now they don't have Robert Williams, so they have less of a presence in the paint, and we could attack Al Horford and [Daniel] Theis. So them not having Robert Williams is huge."

The comments didn't sit well with Kevin Durant.

"We respect our opponents," he said. "We don't need to talk about what we're going to do to them. I just don't like that, but that's how Bruce is. He comes in and keeps the same energy throughout the whole season so, but we don't need to say s--t like that. Let's just go out there and hoop."

In support of Brown, there's no doubt that Williams was a crucial part of a Boston defense that gave up the fewest points per 100 possessions this season (106.2), per NBA.com.

With Williams on the court, the Celtics had a defensive rating of 103.4. When he sat, that number went up to 106.6. For the season he averaged 10.0 points, 9.6 rebounds, 2.2 blocks and 2.0 assists per game, shooting 73.6 percent from the field with a plus-minus of 6.1.

Of course, the Celtics defense didn't exactly drop off a cliff with Horford (103.4 defensive rating) or Theis (104.6) on the floor despite what Brown had to say. Even so, that pair together combined to average about two blocks per game, offering less rim protection than Williams.

But Durant wasn't willing to underestimate either one of them.

"Those two dudes [Horford and Theis] can do the same stuff [as Williams]," he said. "It ain't going to be that easy, I tell you that."

The Celtics will be thrilled if Williams can make it back at some point during the first round, however. Brown will be less enthused.