Robert Williams III

Resourceful in brainstorming ways to impact his team until his return, Robert Williams III, during an episode of “The Brief Case,” outlined one such example to be veteran leadership and “making more people step up.” Based on the fearlessness with which the Portland Trail Blazers’ center shot from the perimeter during his first game back, opponents might be wise in doing just the same. Knowing a thing or two about “court IQ,” Williams, typically the pick-and-roll, rim-running type, backpedals towards the 3-point arc, allowing his teammate the needed space on a potential paint drive. Suddenly wide-open enough to entertain the idea of a triple — something he’d only attempted four times over a seven-year career prior to November 8, 2024 — Williams unloads a trifecta over Rudy Gobert’s uncommitted contest, burying it for his career’s first. The Minnesota Timberwolves proved too much on this night, though Williams’ 17-minute season debut remained remarkable, as he tallied 13 points (on just five attempts), alongside a three-rebound, two-assist, two-steal, one-block, one-triple complement.