When Danny Ainge chose to sign Shelden Williams to a one-year contract, the risk seemed minimal. At most, the former Duke star who is the school’s all-time leader in blocked shots would strengthen an already impressive front-line. His role would be defined as a smart big man, coming off the bench to spell Kendrick Perkins, Kevin Garnett and Rasheed Wallace should they need it.

Williams was a rebounding force during his four years at Duke. Playing in one of the toughest conferences in the country, for one of the most prestigious programs in all of basketball, he averaged three blocks and nine rebounds per game. His junior year, the third team All-American became the first to average a double-double under Head Coach Mike Krzyzewski with 15.5 points and 11.2 rebounds per game.

A year later he was a lottery pick, drafted fifth overall by the Atlanta Hawks in their attempt to finally find that missing big man to solidify the paint. Williams was picked ahead of Rudy Gay, Brandon Roy, Paul Millsap and Leon Powe, among others. All of whom have been able to break into regular NBA rotations. Barring any further injuries (in Powe’s case) they should all be on their way to long, comfortable careers.

Williams, on the other hand, came into the league as a vastly undersized center. Standing at 6’9”, a height normally designated for a power forward, he found himself overmatched night in and night out his rookie season. Statistically speaking, instead of demonstrating improvement, his numbers continued to drop in the following two seasons. The Hawks gave up on him rather quickly, trading him to Sacramento where he played just under a season’s worth of games before being dealt a second time to Minnesota.

At just 25-years-old, Shelden Williams has been given one more chance to salvage his brief NBA career by the Celtics. Some may deem him an insurance policy should Boston not be able to sign Glen Davis, but this time Williams is playing in a winning environment for the first time in his professional career.

With two of the most talented big men of the past 15 years wearing the same jersey and sharing the same paint, Shelden Williams just might provide the stellar defensive play he showcased on a game-by-game basis at the college level.

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