Duke basketball product posts multiple career-high totals for Hornets
Charlotte Hornets rookie Mark Williams, who went No. 15 overall at the 2022 NBA Draft after two Duke basketball campaigns, played double-digit minutes on Monday night for the first time in his NBA career. And it was the 21-year-old's first action with the team in almost two months.
Sure, the lowly Hornets (9-25) suffered yet another loss, this time a 124-113 defeat on the road at the hands of the Portland Trail Blazers (18-16). But Williams recorded career-high stats, albeit still modest, across the board in the first game he played more than just mop-up duty.
The 7-foot former ACC Defensive Player of the Year saw 16 minutes off the bench, more than his combined playing time from his three previous outings for the Hornets, finishing with nine points, six rebounds, one assist, and two steals.
"He was impressive," Charlotte head coach Steve Clifford said about Williams after the game. "The way he handled himself, his poise on the court, his basket protection, we were very organized when he was on the floor. He did a good job on his pick-and-roll coverages, and I thought he did a really, really good job."
Charlotte's other former Duke basketball big man, Mason Plumlee, who has played and started in all 34 games this season, tallied 14 points, eight rebounds, two assists, and one steal in his 27 minutes on the floor.
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Mark Williams, averaging 22.2 points and 12.2 boards for the Greensboro Swarm in the G League, may continue to benefit from the absence of the Hornets' usual backup center, Nick Richards, who remains day-to-day with an ankle injury.
Although it's a small sample size, it's worth noting that Williams' per-36-minute averages for Charlotte are 24.8 points, 17.4 rebounds, and 2.5 steals.
Again, he hasn't yet totaled 36 minutes for the season, but that likely won't be the case for long. The Charlotte Hornets have another road game at 10 p.m. ET Tuesday when they face the Golden State Warriors (16-18).
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