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Williams is less than a month removed from playing the best stretch of basketball of his young career. In a five game cluster starting on January 12th in Portland, Williams put up 24 points and 16 rebounds against the Trail Blazers, 31 points and 13 rebounds against the Jazz, 19 points and 19 rebounds against the Bulls, 13 points and 13 rebounds against the Mavericks, and 38 points and nine rebounds against the Grizzlies.
That span of games seemingly cemented Williams’ status as the Hornets’ future of the center. Not so fast my friend.
Now, Williams is locked-in as the starting center of the Western Conference’s latest super team. Let’s dive into the ramifications of the latest NBA trade deadline stunner.
Williams’ raw talent level is undeniable.
Charlotte’s former starting center displayed a deft offensive game in his return from a year-long absence that carried the Hornets through the doldrums of winter. His pick-and-roll chemistry with LaMelo Ball was developing into a legitimate weapon that Charles Lee’s screen-heavy offense could be built around.
However, concerns about Williams’ long-term viability as a starting center were always shrouding his indelible talent.
Injuries plagued the first three years of Mark’s career. The former Duke Blue Devil has played a total of 84 games as a professional, barely a full season’s worth, in his three-year tenure with the Hornets. A myriad of ailments including an ankle sprain, a dislocated thumb, a back contusion, and a foot injury have often turned Williams into a Bigfoot-esque character in Charlotte basketball lore since he was selected in the first round of the 2022 NBA Draft. He’s been an idea more than an impactful player for much of his career.
To add to those injury concerns, Williams’ defense fell off a cliff in …
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