Mark Williams Clears the Air on Back Injury

Some good news revealed by the Charlotte Hornets center.

Mark Williams played in just 19 games this season for the Charlotte Hornets, one of many key contributors who missed the bulk of the 2023-24 campaign.

Williams started to feel something in his back in a game against the Brooklyn Nets back in late November, but threw some ice on it and thought it was something he could play through. He felt the pain increase a couple days later against Minnesota, so he sat out the next matchup vs. Chicago. Williams tried to give it a go two days later against Toronto, but had to leave the game in the third quarter and that would be the last we saw of him for the remainder of the season. 

“I’m defintely starting to feel better. I’m able to do a little bit more and feeling better by the day. It’s not really something that’s going to linger. I am going to play every game next year. It’s defintely not something I like doing, sitting out. 

“It’s not a surgery situation or anything like that. It’s just a matter of getting back to being comfortable enough to play and being able to move how I move, jump how I jump, and not be something that lingers. I’m totally going to be okay it’s just a matter of building up and overall comfort.”

When big guys in the NBA have a back injury, it always sparks concern that it could be something serious. The fact that Williams does not have to undergo a procedure is terrific news. He told reporters that he’s already starting to get some shots in and is now able to expand what he can do in the weight room. There is no timetable for when he will reach 100%, but head coach Steve Clifford did mention that he believed all of the injured guys would be good to go by training camp.