The Hornets must find a way to get Mark Williams more touches on offense

Mark Williams shot well again last night for the Charlotte Hornets. Though it came in a losing effort, Williams had his fifth straight game of at least 50% shooting from the field. He was 71.4% in a game in which the Minnesota Timberwolves had two starting big men who were three inches shorter than Williams.

The problem was that Williams only shot the ball seven times (a little more if you factor in that he also attempted four free throws). The center just wasn't as involved on a night when Rudy Gobert, one of the best defensive bigs in basketball, was on the sideline.

In the last two games, Williams has had 15 combined shots. He had 14 and then 18 in the two games prior. The latter is what the Hornets need. They're not winning, so are 48 shots from Miles Bridges and LaMelo Ball compared to seven from Williams really beneficial?

Mar 3, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Charlotte Hornets center Mark Williams (5) with a layup against Golden State Warriors during the second quarter at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

It's true that Ball shooting is probably the Hornets' best option for success, but at this point in an utterly lost season, that doesn't really matter anymore. When Williams is on the floor, he needs to be way more involved than he has been for multiple reasons.

First, the Hornets need to see what Williams can do with a larger workload. When other players are out, he can step it up. But is there a world where instead of 35 shots being split 28-7 between Ball and Williams, maybe Ball gets 19 and Williams gets 16? There's got to be more balance to determine if this is a winning duo.

Second, the Hornets may or may not be trading Williams. He's clearly showing that he's healthy and possibly rebuilding his trade value after the Los Angeles Lakers debacle. But now the Hornets need him to build his value by playing well, and it's hard to play all that well with just seven shots.

Whether the Hornets are keeping or trading Williams this summer, it's in their best interest to get him a lot more involved. It'll save Ball from having to continue hoisting a historic amount of shots and it will allow the Hornets to learn just what the future entails for them and Williams.

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