Blazers News: Robert Williams Breaks Down Brutal Concussion Symptoms

After missing weeks of practice due to being on concussion protocol, Trail Blazers center Robert Williams III finally returned to practice on Thursday.

Williams has missed the last three weeks after taking a hard fall on Nov. 25 against the Memphis Grizzlies. Although he was ruled out for the Blazers' game on Friday against the San Antonio Spurs, it was great to see him back at practice.

After Thursday's practice, Williams spoke to the media and discussed his fall and his time on concussion protocol.

“It’s one of the most sensitive things to deal with in sports, so you’ve got to be careful,” Williams said after practice on Thursday, per Sean Highkin of The Rose Garden Report . “It was scary, but it’s part of the game. When you take a fall like that, you have to slow down and go through all the tests. Nobody wants to get injured.”

“I was in a daze,” Williams said. “Nausea, headaches, stuff like that. I didn’t feel terrible. I’ve seen people with worse concussions than mine, for sure. But it slowed me down.”

He has missed the last seven games for the Blazers, who have a record of 1-6 without him. Williams did not join the team on their recent short road trips to Los Angeles against the Clippers and Lakers and wasn't even at the Moda Center for home games.

Williams has dealt with his fair share of injuries in his career. He missed the majority of last season after having knee surgery and the beginning of this season with a hamstring injury.

While that was the case, this is the first time he has experienced a concussion, at least at the NBA level.

“It was scary,” Williams said. “When you hurt something physically, like a knee or ankle, you progress based on walking and moving. So I couldn’t move forward until my tests on the computer came back right. So it was just a lot of taking those tests.”

Williams has been solid for the young Blazers, averaging 9.6 points per game, 6.0 rebounds, 1.4 assists, and 1.9 blocks in 18.7 minutes per game. There have been a ton of rumors on Williams' future in Portland, and he is likely to trade assets for the Blazers, who could look to move him as we approach the NBA trade deal.

When healthy, Williams is a solid defensive player who has repeatedly shown that he is a force to be reckoned with.

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