Mark Williams Looks Like Himself Again

The big man is back to business as usual.

The Charlotte Hornets continue to be hampered by injuries - same story different day. But the good news is that the guys who have returned to the lineup continue to make notable progress in returning to form. Just look at Miles Bridges, who earned his first 30-ball of the season on Monday and nearly had a triple double with 12 rebounds and eight assists as well. Not to mention his heroic shot to send the game to overtime.

Then there is Mark Williams. After being out of the Hornets’ lineup for nearly a year, Williams finally made his return back on December 3. Initially being limited due to a minutes restriction, Mark had looked a little less comfortable than his usual self for a bit, which was to be expected - imagine being forced to take a year away from your job and then trying to acclimate once again.

But now that he has gotten 10 games under his belt, Williams is beginning to look like the type of game-changing player he was before injuries sidelined him. On Tuesday against the Chicago Bulls, Mark logged a season-high 20 points and 12 rebounds, while blocking three shots and going a perfect 9-for-9 from the floor. All in all, this felt like the type of breakout game that ultimately signaled Williams being back to his normal self.

Charles Lee seemed to agree with that assessment. “I told [Mark] after the game I thought this was one of his more complete games with his activity, his effort on both sides of the floor,” said Lee. “It was nice to be able to move him around and guard different guys today. Be it different coverages, we switched a little bit with him, had him up in the pick-and-roll, had him back in the pick-and-roll, had him coming to help, he blocked some shots. So I think he’s just starting to kick some of the rust and find a rhythm and a groove.”

Getting game reps was always going to be the only way for Mark to truly get back to the level of comfortability he had before, and now we are seeing that process play out each time he suits up. “With each game I’m just feeling more and more comfortable,” Williams said after Saturday’s game against the Thunder. “Getting the chemistry back with my teammates, attacking the boards on both sides.”

Williams has been looking more comfortable each game

Speaking of getting that chemistry back, there was a unique challenge Mark had to deal with in getting re-acclimated to his teammates - since he had not played in over a year, several of the guys he knew how to play with before are no longer in Charlotte. In addition to re-establishing good chemistry with the guys he was familiar with like LaMelo Ball, he also had to learn how to play with the newer faces.

Of course, those guys had been participating in practice with Williams, so it is not like they were completely unaware of how to play alongside him. But the speed and pressure of a real NBA game is of course a different animal. One veteran who certainly understands this and Mark’s re-acclimation process is Seth Curry.

“Mark’s just finding his rhythm,” said Curry. “He’s getting in better shape so he can sustain his play a little bit longer. I mean, being out that long, it’s hard to just feel the intensity of the games, play that hard for extended minutes. But he did a great job tonight. Protecting the rim, obviously finishing, playing above the rim is what he does best. But he also did a lot of unselfish stuff tonight. Screening, getting guys open is just huge for us.

“He’s talented, everybody knows that. But just getting his feel back, we knew he wasn’t going to come out the first few games and look his best. It’s just about him getting his feel, getting used to that intensity, playing at a high level, and he’s going to keep getting better and better.”

There is a reason Mark Williams is frequently mentioned as a player who should be considered one of the core members of this team going forward. His talent is undeniable, and having him back and playing at a high level will be of the utmost importance for the Hornets moving forward.

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