Miles Bridges gives Mark Williams his flowers after dominant performance in win over Miami

Mark Williams' on-court performances have fluctuated wildly since the rescinded trade between the Charlotte Hornets and the Los Angeles Lakers. The talented big man has oscillated between throwing down hammer dunks against swarming defenses and looking lost in drop coverage not only from game-to-game, but from possession-to-possession.

In Monday night's nail biting 105-102 win over the Miami Heat, Williams was a force for the majority of his 29 minutes on the floor. His 24 point, 10 rebound performance pops off the stat sheet, but for the first time in weeks, Williams' larger-than-life presence was felt on both ends of the floor.

Following the contest, Miles Bridges was asked about Williams' monster impact. The veteran forward put in another impressive shift (35 points, five rebounds, and five assists on an über efficient 12/19 from the field), but he deferred all praise to his much maligned center.

"Mark (Williams) played well but that's what I expect from Mark. This is the Mark that I like. This is the Mark that should always come to the games. I stay on him all of the time because I know his potential. As long as he plays like that I don't see a big that's messing with him in the league."

High praise from Bridges.

Much ado has been made about Williams' struggles (some of that has come from yours truly), but his potential is still sky high. The former Duke Blue Devil puts in his best performances when coming off of a few days of rest; a fact that points to his lack of conditioning at this point in his career.

If, and that's a big if, he's still on the Charlotte Hornets' roster come October, he'll be the beneficiary of a full offseason in the same system and training program, working out with minimal restrictions, with the motivation of the failed trade fueling his resurgence. It's difficult to say what level of player that will produce come 2025-26, but let Miles Bridges tell it, and Charlotte will be getting a true dominant force in the painted area.

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