Hornets' Mark Williams: Deemed questionable for Friday
Rotowire
Williams (back) is questionable for Friday's game against the Raptors.
Williams missed Wednesday's game against Chicago due to his back injury, but he'll be in the mix to return Friday. He had posted a double-double in four of his six appearances prior to his absence, averaging 12.7 points and 11.2 rebounds in 29.3 minutes per game across that span.
... See More... See Less
Hornets' Mark Williams: Ruled out
Rotowire
Williams (back) has been ruled out for Wednesday's game against the Bulls.
Williams has been downgraded from questionable to out and will miss his first game of the season. In Williams' absence, Nick Richards, who recently returned from a six-game absence due to a concussion, will likely start at center. However, Charlotte may opt to run out some smaller lineups with P.J. Washington or Miles Bridges at the five.
... See More... See Less
Hornets' Mark Williams: Iffy against Chicago
Rotowire
Williams is listed as questionable for Wednesday's game versus the Bulls due to a low back contusion.
Williams has enjoyed a strong sophomore campaign, averaging a double-double across his first 18 appearances. However, he is in danger of missing his first game of the season due to a back injury. If Williams is ruled out, Nick Richards would likely receive extended minutes.
... See More... See Less
Hornets' Mark Williams: Double-doubles in loss
Rotowire
Williams logged 12 points (5-9 FG, 2-2 FT), 12 rebounds and one steal over 25 minutes during Tuesday's 115-91 loss to New York.
Williams produced a serviceable line in the loss, turning in his seventh double-double of the season. Despite playing only 26.7 minutes per game, it's been a relatively strong start to his sophomore campaign. Averaging 13.4 points, 10.2 rebounds and 1.9 combined steals and blocks, Williams has been a top-50 player thus far. His value is heavily reliant on rebounds and efficiency, making him a must-roster player, albeit geared towards specific builds.
... See More... See Less
Hornets' Mark Williams: Clutch in win
Rotowire
Williams supplied 18 points (8-14 FG, 2-2 FT), 16 rebounds, two assists, three blocks and one steal in 33 minutes during Monday's 121-118 overtime victory over Boston.
Williams has been an inconsistent producer for Charlotte this season, but he has stepped up in recent games against Boston and Milwaukee. Totaling 29 points and 32 rebounds against the Eastern Conference powerhouses, Williams is demonstrating the ability to anchor the paint, even if his defensive versatility is lacking. However, his three blocks Monday marked a season high, so he is showing improvement on that end of the court.
... See More... See Less
Hornets' Mark Williams: Double-double in loss
Rotowire
Williams supplied 11 points (4-7 FG, 3-4 FT), 16 rebounds, two assists, one block and one steal across 32 minutes during Friday's 130-99 loss to Milwaukee.
The second-year center produced his fourth double-double in 11 games to begin the season while scoring in double digits for the seventh straight contest. Williams has been arguably the most reliable Hornet this year aside from LaMelo Ball, and during that seven-game stretch he's averaging 16.1 points, 10.7 boards and 1.5 steals-plus-blocks while shooting an eye-popping 71.4 percent from the floor.
... See More... See Less
Hornets' Mark Williams: Efficient despite loss
Rotowire
Williams ended Sunday's 129-107 loss to the Knicks with 10 points (4-5 FG, 2-2 FT), four rebounds, two assists and two steals over 23 minutes.
Williams didn't have his best game, as he's capable of dominating the glass and putting up more points, but at least he was efficient -- he missed only one shot from the field. At the very least, the second-year big man extended his double-digit scoring run to five games, and he also has two double-doubles in that span.
... See More... See Less
Hornets' Mark Williams: Monster night in win
Rotowire
Williams posted 21 points (10-19 FG, 1-2 FT), 20 rebounds and three assists across 30 minutes during Friday's 124-117 win over Washington.
Williams 24 rebounds were a career-high mark en route to his first career 20-20 game. The huge effort was enough to get over his lack of blocks, as the big man continues to excel early in the season. He is now averaging 15.4 points, 9.9 rebounds, 0.9 steals and 0.9 blocks across 25.6 minutes in eight games this season. He is also shooting a remarkable 72.1 percent from the floor. If the second-year center can start seeing more minutes, his future looks bright with Charlotte's young squad.
... See More... See Less
Hornets' Mark Williams: Perfect from field again
Rotowire
Williams produced 19 points (8-8 FG, 3-6 FT), 10 rebounds and one assist in 27 minutes during Sunday's 124-118 loss to the Mavericks.
Williams is becoming an efficiency darling, connecting on 28 of 32 shots over his last four games. Notably, Charlotte relied on Nick Richards (12 points, nine rebounds, 21 minutes) for chunks of the second half. Williams is demonstrating that he can boom even without the lion's share of the minutes.
... See More... See Less
Hornets' Mark Williams: Scores career-high 27
Rotowire
Williams produced 27 points (9-12 FG, 9-9 FT), seven rebounds, one assist, two blocks and two steals in 30 minutes during Saturday's 125-124 win over the Pacers.
Williams posted a career-best scoring night while being perfect at the free-throw line. The sample size is small, but Williams is hitting 85.0 percent of his free throws after connecting on just 69.1 percent of 2.3 attempts per game last season. The 21-year-old has been volatile thus far, but he's fully capable of booming if he continues blossoming as Charlotte's center of the future.
... See More... See Less
Hornets' Mark Williams: Team option exercised
Rotowire
The Hornets exercised Williams' third-year team option Tuesday, Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer reports.
The move was merely a formality, as the $4.09 million salary he'll be due in 2024-25 is a relative pittance for a player who closed his rookie season on a high note and is viewed as the Hornets' top center for the immediate future. Williams has gotten off to a bit of a slow start through three games this season, averaging 11.0 points, 8.3 rebounds, 1.0 assists, 1.0 steals and 0.7 blocks in 24.7 minutes per game.
... See More... See Less
Hornets' Mark Williams: Promptly vanishes
Rotowire
Williams contributed two points (1-4 FG), three rebounds, one assist and one block in 21 minutes during Friday's 111-99 loss to the Pistons.
Williams battled foul trouble throughout the contest, and the Hornets committed 23 fouls as a team. Foul trouble wasn't a major issue for Williams as a rookie, but it'll be interesting to monitor if a larger role changes that. He's a bounce-back candidate Monday against Brooklyn.
... See More... See Less
Hornets' Mark Williams: Big double-double
Rotowire
Williams notched 13 points (5-6 FG, 3-3 FT), 15 rebounds, one assist, one block and three steals over 30 minutes during Wednesday's 116-110 win over the Hawks.
Williams' modest scoring doesn't do justice to the active role he served on the majority of Charlotte's possessions while he was on the court. The 21-year-old averaged 9.5 rebounds per game across his final 10 contests last season and could be poised for a step up in 2023-24. Backup Nick Richards supplied seven points and four rebounds in 18 minutes.
... See More... See Less
Hornets' Mark Williams: Healthy for camp
Rotowire
Williams is 100 percent recovered from his right thumb surgery, Schuyler Callihan of Fan Nation reports.
Williams underwent surgery in mid-June, but it was never expected to impact his status for the start of the new campaign. Williams will be a popular fantasy pick this season as the unquestioned starter, and it will be intriguing to see him develop chemistry with LaMelo Ball as a roll man.
... See More... See Less
Hornets' Mark Williams: Undergoes thumb surgery
Rotowire
The Hornets announced Wednesday that Williams underwent surgery to repair a torn ligament in his right thumb.
Williams missed most of March due to the thumb issue but suited up for six of the Hornets' final eight games. He's expected to make a full recovery ahead of training camp and should be back in time for the start of the 2023-24 season, when he'll likely settle back in as Charlotte's top center. In 17 appearances as a starter during his rookie campaign, Williams averaged 11.6 points, 9.8 rebounds and 1.1 blocks across 26.9 minutes.
... See More... See Less
Hornets' Mark Williams: Ends season with career day
Rotowire
Williams logged 22 points (9-10 FG, 4-6 FT), 10 rebounds, two blocks and one steal across 30 minutes during Sunday's 106-95 win over the Cavaliers.
Due to ankle and thumb injuries, and the Hornets being well out of the playoff picture, Williams played in only six of the last 14 games of the season. However, he capped the year with one of his best performances. The 22-point game was his best of the season, coupled with 10 rebounds for his 11th double-double. The Hornets' center also blocked multiple shots in a game for the first time since Feb. 15. Williams ended his rookie year averaging 9.0 points, 7.1 rebounds and 1.0 blocks per game, but he played in just 43 contests over the season.
... See More... See Less
Hornets' Mark Williams: Starting Friday
Rotowire
Williams (ankle) is starting Friday against the Rockets.
Williams was probable for Friday's matchup, so it isn't very surprising to see him available following a one-game absence. Over his last three starts, he's averaged 12.0 points and 12.0 rebounds in 31.3 minutes per game.
... See More... See Less
Hornets' Mark Williams: Probable Friday
Rotowire
Williams (ankle) is probable for Friday's game against the Rockets.
Williams sat out Tuesday against Toronto due to his ankle injury, but he'll likely be able to return to the court against the Rockets. Over his last four appearances, he's averaged 12.3 points and 11.0 rebounds in 28.8 minutes per game.
... See More... See Less
Hornets' Mark Williams: Receives downgrade to doubtful
Rotowire
Williams (ankle) is now considered doubtful to take the floor Tuesday versus the Raptors.
After initially receiving a probable tag, it appears his ankle issue has taken a downward turn overnight, and the big man will likely sit out Tuesday's game. Williams has just two more chances to return to action before the regular season concludes, but his expected absence Tuesday should result in more minutes for Nick Richards and Kai Jones.
... See More... See Less
Hornets' Mark Williams: Records double-double in start
Rotowire
Williams closed with 15 points (7-15 FG, 1-1 FT) and 12 rebounds in 27 minutes during Sunday's 128-108 loss to Toronto.
Williams led the team in rebounds and finished as one of five players in double figures in scoring while earning a starting nod due to the Hornets being short-handed. Williams has recorded a double-double in nine games this year.
